THE FILM
“There is a profound sense of wonder and revelation when you recognize your own self, your own awareness emerging out on the canvas in front of you, the blueprint, the imprint of your own inner being.”
– Andrey Tamarchenko
“Know Your Muse” is a cinematic unscripted series where artist-mentor Andrey Tamarchenko leads novice painters into wild scenery and even wilder studio sessions, igniting creative breakthroughs that reveal their hidden Muse—and proving that art is a portal to transformation for everyone.
The “Know Your Muse” reality documentary series delves into the heart of the creative process. Created in the Hudson Valley, this father-daughter directorial debut explores the relationship between perception, imagination and artistic expression.
The series follows artist Andrey Tamarchenko as he guides hesitant beginners in unlocking their hidden artistic talents by engaging their sense of wonder
and aesthetic insight. Through these encounters, the audience witnesses a transformation that is both personal and universal: a quiet revelation of what
it means to engage deeply with the world, with art, and with oneself.
In this pilot and proof-of-concept you will meet 3 individuals with very little experience in painting and drawing as they attempt to unlock this new and unfamiliar mode of expression.
THE GUESTS
“It’s just so cool to absolutely not feel like it’s possible. And then to see it just come together in front of you.”
Menefese Kudumu-Clavell is a filmmaker, whose non-for-profit start-up Ineffable Films is dedicated to empowering other young filmmakers from international backgrounds to tell their stories. Recently he has bought a boat for traveling the world and making films.
“It goes beyond the way that I box myself in: I’m a writer, I’m a poet, but I’m not a visual artist. But who said? You know, it’s just like unexplored territory.”
Mitch Ditkoff is an author and co-founder of “Idea Champions”, a company dedicated to innovation and creative thinking for Fortune 500 companies. His recent book of poetry “Unspoken Word” is about love, longing and letting go.
“I’m really so amazed that this came out. Every part of the canvas has something going on. A few days ago I was like: No way, no way! “
Charlie Liu is from a big city but has since answered a call to return to Nature. Recently she has been volunteering her time on various farms in search of that closer connection to the earth.
THE CREW
Presenter, Co-Director
Andrey Tamarchenko is a Romantic landscape painter, filmmaker, and educator whose exuberant teaching style has inspired audiences to “meet the Muse within.”
For more than thirty years he has guided hundreds of students—from New York to the Italian Alps—using meditation, nature study, and spontaneous mark-making to unlock creative autonomy. He founded Nandi School of Art in Montclair, NJ; JoyArt studio in New Paltz, NY and the Vistanuova Art Retreats in Italy. Andrey has co-directed the Monferarti Artist Residency in Piedmont, Italy and has produced interdisciplinary performances, installations, and short films worldwide.
A native of Saint Petersburg, Andrey has exhibited in over fifty solo and group shows across Europe, the United States, and Asia; his work lives in private collections on six continents. Whether wielding a brush on a cliffside or mentoring beginners in a studio, Andrey’s mission is constant: awaken wonder through the living brushstroke.
In 2023 together with Ron Brent, Andrey co-founded Know Your Muse, where he hosts and serves as creative director. andreytamarchenko.com
Executive Producer
For more than five decades Ron Brent has built creative bridges between East and West. He co-founded Asia, Arts & Culture, produced Asian Art on the Hudson, showcasing the works of nine breakthrough Chinese painters. He also edited and published Laozi’s Dao De Jing: The United Version (Wapner & Brent Books).
Ron co-launched Heroic Leadership, guiding innovators like Apple Inc. on cross-cultural strategies. He has produced a series of short documentaries on poet-sages in Egypt, India, Nepal, Tibet, Israel, and Turkey, plus a feature on Tibet’s sacred Mount Kailash.
In the late 1980’s he helped establish The PRASAD Project in rural India, and is currently a board member for the Children’s Dental Health Project. As an adjunct lecturer he co-taught a course at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Ron now brings his global insight and storytelling craft to Know Your Muse as Executive Producer.
Co-director, editor
Alisha Tamarchenko is a documentary filmmaker and multimedia artist. She seeks to tell stories that allow audiences to experience different ways of being, evoking wonder and curiosity, and ultimately moving viewers to help build a balanced and kinder world. Her work has screened around the U.S. and internationally, including at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Environmental Film Festival in D.C., the Nashville Film Festival, the Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival, the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival, and on PBS. She’s worked with Vice, ESPN, ITV, Harper Collins, Coca Cola, among others. Most recently, Alisha worked as a Video Production Specialist at the Smithsonian Institution.
She holds a BA in documentary film and anthropology from Ithaca College.
Cinematographer
Julia Tamarchenko is a New York–based editor and cinematographer whose work spans documentary, arts education, and travel storytelling. At Freak & Genius Productions she facilitates all aspects of video production for Know Your Muse, including cutting the pilot and developing course assets. Her earlier credits include tourism films in Italy (Contural), educational shorts for JOY ART, and the Vistanuova art retreats. A co-founder of ART FARM and the NANDI School of Art, she brings a teacher’s eye for process and story.
Composer, Original Score
Ilia Klimenchenko is an American film composer and producer, born, raised and based in New York’s Hudson Valley. A trained pianist and graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory, Ilia’s scores draw on the rich tradition of late romantic classical music, a tradition he strives to uphold throughout his work in film and television. Ilia remains a passionate champion of independent filmmaking, working closely with filmmakers to craft unique, musical palettes and support their storytelling through music.
DIRECTORS' STATEMENT
What if the whisper you’ve been ignoring is the one that could change everything?
This series seeks to explore the role of art and aesthetics as a potential vehicle for transformation and intuitive insight. As our participants discover a new mode of self-expression and dive head first into the vicissitudes of the creative process, the audience gets to witness the transformative power of art in action. A sense of renewal, connection, and the quiet power of having touched something authentic within is the visible result of these encounters.
We define the source of inspiration and creative power within each of us as the Muse. This deeply personal force, unique to each individual, is key to creative fulfillment. Ultimately, to fully Know Your Muse is to recognize it as our own creative nature—a reflection of our inner power and boundless potential. This is not about becoming better at art, it’s about attuning yourself to what’s already trying to come alive within you.
