I was always fascinated by light, fire. There's something magnetic in it. And I know it is impossible to express it graphically, because of the difference of the contrast ratios between the colours in nature and on the art surface (paper or canvas). But the artist wouldn't be an artist if he didn't try. And I try one time after another to get the canvas to shine. I've mentioned already - the light is a very difficult substance to express it graphically. Because in nature the contrast between the lightest and the darkest spot of the visible picture is in several times bigger than the contrast between white and black on a paper or canvas. That's why artist learns how to operate with the correlations between colours with proportions of light and dark masses. Artist not only paints, but also applies to the viewer's psychology, people's visual experience, to the conceptual cliches. What about an art? Probably I'm not an artist - just a musician without a voice. And what I'm using for singing - paint and canvas. It's pretty much like singing. Sing a song when you want, when it's singing itself, when your voice is just following the inner melody. That's an Art what I call it. . . About an inspiration. Art is very personal thing. Artwork, being inspired of something, could touch or induce a personal response in someone, and who knows will it be related to the source inspiration. Once I've painted the icon. It was "Holy Trinity" based on the composition of the Andrey Rublev's "Holy Trinity". It's a pity I have no photo of this work, because it was a good one. I've tried to develop the Rublev's plasticism, his style, to put it to the edge. And I did it. I gave this work to our family friend as a gift and now the trace of it is lost. It was my only experience with icons. I have to say I don't like to paint something people will worship. God wanders in mysterious ways. You can attempt to draw, to paint something based on Bible, on Holy scripts, why not. But what is the point to pick the picture or sculpture and worship to it as it was the substitute for God?

When I studied Art in the Art School, Claude Monet was my my God in painting. Monet's works are quintessential painting. But the drawing in his works is disappeared, melted under the moving masses of colours. I still love his paintings, but since then I've passed through the passion to Pavel Filonov's Art with a strong graphic discipline, I opened Bruegel's paintings in which colour and line work together in a very natural way. They are only two masters I'm pointing on as great example of coloristic and graphic thinking, but the list is endless. Graphic is strong part of me and it appears in every work. Pencil drawing, is what I appreciate the most of the different graphic techniques, because it doesn't require specific surrounding like an atelier and any sophisticated equipment. Just a pencil and paper, which are always with me. I have to admit that some preferences still exist - I love some special sorts of paper, but generally the lack of such circumstances has never kept me from drawing. Another side of my love to plain pencil drawing is the flexibility of this technique to reflect my thoughts momentarily. That's why a lot of my graphic works named as "Improvisations". They really are, improvisations similar to jazz sessions. The end of line is always the beginning of something new, something unexpectable, something I'm thinking about right now in this very moment. My latest works are primarily much more abstract, sometimes absolutely abstract. This character of my painting doesn't depend of what I like or what I don't like in art. I'm not a special fan of abstract art or realism, but I hate statements, programs and manifests in art. It goes as it goes, or at least it should.

If you ask me what style or the direction my paintings belong to, the question doesn't make much sense to me. Directions and styles are just labels or stamps which help dealers to pack and sell art. I like such words as Realism, Surrealism, Abstract, Inspiration and so on. But these are only words and I'm not good enough at describing my artwork. My work centers on things which are usually invisible, but play a role not less important than visual shapes and forms do. While most would consider my creation is anything except realistic, I find that it is realism; as it is in its true, original meaning - to present an existence. Anything what is drawn or painted becomes a symbol. Symbols begin to create their own patterns and textures, developing into the matter of painting. Vibrant colors begin to shine through the application of many thin layers of transparent paint. I consider canvas or paper as alive matter. The task is not in filling the space of canvas with colors professionally. It is much more sophisticated and at the same time simpler. Do you feel the vibration and inner motion of the color mass?

Artist Highlights

• Lives In:    CANADA
• ArtWanted.com Gallery:    Fine Art
• Past Clients:    BRITA, IBM, EuroStat