Lemon Grove, 2024

Silvia Vassileva  

Artist Statement:

At a very early age, 3 or 4, I loved looking through the pages of the thick art books at home. The Renaissance Masters always left me breathless! Later, in my elementary school, the walls of the long hallways were covered with framed reproductions and during recess I was running up to the third floor to see the French impressionists and Van Gogh. I loved art and I knew that is what I want to do. The first art class I took at the age of 12, just made my childhood dream become a clear decision, a goal and a commitment. I did not change my mind for decades!
As I evolved as a human being and an artist, my technique and themes were constantly changing. What never changed was my strong believe that art is an expression of our own individuality, a translation of the reality we see and a reflection of our feelings.
I love painting alla prima, letting my spontaneity lead me through the process. Classically trained with oil paint, at later age I discovered acrylics. They allow my mind and hand to be more in tune! I never paint on stretched canvases because I love hard surface under my canvas.
As a published artist I paint daily. The prints of my art are distributed around the world and the originals are represented at four galleries. My paintings can be found in numerous corporate and private collections; TV sets - Oprah, Lady Gaga Jay Leno e.t.c.; movies - George Clooney's The Ides of March e.t.c: magazines - Art Business News, Art World News, Decor, Elle Decor, Veranda, Architectural Digest, Carmel Valley News e.t.c.
I was born, raised and educated in Bulgaria, later I lived for six years in Japan and since 1996 I live in San Diego, California. Living on three different continents, experiencing different cultures and traveling the world enriched my artistic vision and style.
I find inspiration everywhere - the things I see, the way I feel; a painting can be triggered by a poem or a tune...I believe that creating art is a necessity for my soul, feelings, and sensitivity. My goal is to take the viewer through the whole process - from the reality through it’s transformation in my mind, through the expression of my own feelings, to the new reality on the canvas. My style is free and bold. I love contrast, sudden changes of color, unusual color palettes: everything that makes a painting come ALIVE.

Education:

MFA from the National Art Academy, Sofia - Bulgaria
BA from High Art School, Plovdiv Bulgaria

Awards & Distinctions:

1976 - European children painting contest
1982 - National Art School contest
1987 - National Radio interview
1988 - Graduating MFA with honors - first solo show
2006 - KUSI San Diego, TV interview

Exhibitions:

WCAF - Las Vegas - from 2002 to 2020 - group shows
Surtex - NY - from 2003 to 2020 - group shows
Atlanta Decor EXPO - from 2002 to 2019 - group shows
Catenari Art - Santa FE, NM 1917 - solo show
SDAI - San Diego, CA - from 2002 to 2015 - group shows
Phoenix Art Group - from 1998 to 2001 - group shows
1999 - Solo show, East- West gallery, Carlsbad, CA
1996 - Solo show, Sendai Art Gallery, Sendai, Japan
1993 - Solo show, Misawa Hoomu gallery, Osaka, Japan
1988 - Solo Show, VIII "N. Pavlovich" gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria

Artistic Influences:

The Renaissance Masters, The French Impressionists, Picasso and the Japanese Woodblock prints influenced my art. I love to stretch from realistic to abstract and to explore different subject matter.

Tags:

abstracted landscapes, abstract art, expressive abstract, rich color palette, decorative art, city-scapes, modern master, dynamic brush strokes, abstracted seascapes, contemporary abstract