Recycled...art?

Every now and then I paint something for the wrong reason. Don't get me wrong, it's always coming from the heart. What I mean is that I involve myself in situations that I find highly emotional. While they can be an amazing source of drive, they can also infect my attitude. The sadness I feel for a fallen tree, for example, can be depicted in two different ways: The dark, deathly, clinging and desperate way - and the life-celebrating, remembering, but not holding-onto way.

Last year there was such a painting. I was proud of it then. "Here, industry - take that!" My little poke at the changing surroundings. The painting didn't sell. I don't measure my talent or success by the number of sold works, but there is something incredibly rewarding in selling a painting. Aside from the financial benefit, the knowledge that I intellectually connected with another human being feeds me beyond measure. The idea that I put my love into a painting and someone that I've never met was open to seeing it (not just looking at it), feeling it and believing in its impact enough to take it home. If I had to pick one instance when I knew I was doing what I'm destined to do, it would be a heartfelt message I received from a mom who lost her son.

I had 'that one' painting sent back to me. Seeing it again, I could hardly believe how dark and desolate it was. I almost tasted the bitterness the painting seemed to radiate. I brightened the tree. Colour. Lots of it. Every type of yellow Cadmium I could load onto my fat brush. Copper foil. Yummy! Bright bits of spicy teal for contrast. Buttery reds. Intoxicating iron oxides. I changed the title to "Everything Stills Within". Wow. Amazing! I hung it in the upstairs hallway for three months. It felt like letting go of sadness and embracing happiness. Now that I got so much sweet pleasure out of it, I'm letting it go. Let it wrap someone else with that blanket of comfort.


SOLD

Canada House Gallery

Character.

"Some character you are!"
"Show some character!"
"He's full of class and deep character."
"This character thinks he owns the road!"

What a crow.

Canada House Gallery

SOLD

The Ground Beneath Her Feet

People ask me how I know which crows are female and which are male. This is likely a result of the titles of my works - I often assign gender to "my" birds. The truth is I have no idea whatsoever how to tell and I suspect it would involve a more sophisticated observation than the one I am able to do on the side of the road.

The only explanation I can offer is that, very much like the inspiration of my work, there's less logic and more gut feeling. I discover, observe, envision, calculate, concoct and brew up stories about my beloved feathered friends. In the titles, I often cover the current weather, admit songs I'm listening to and embrace the mood with which the crows received me - or didn't.

Fifty Shades of Crow

I enjoy posting on my blog, mainly because it's a different medium from my website. It offers the opportunity to explain my work. Today however, I'm leaving this painting and its title definition-free. You go ahead.


SOLD
Nikol Haskova Studio

Here, lil' crow

I've been playing around with video on my phone, mostly shooting fragments of my son's life. Little fingers, gripping his blanket, his then tooth-less mouth grinning at me. A few years later, my much bigger boy dressed as Luke Skywalker, promising to hunt down Darth - in London :)

Lately, I've taken short clips of much loved jogging destinations. On one of these excursions, a startled crow gave me a talking to. Since then, I've recorded various types of suburban Corvid conversation. It's fun, it's great studio reference and it lets me dip into yet another medium that I admire. Here's a very shaky glimpse into how I get photos for my paintings.


Nikol Haskova Studio

Four Petals, Anchored In Strength

Four petals, belonging to chakra one
Four beautiful beings

Forever connected by love
Fitting into a life full of wonder
Falling into a precious destiny

SOLD
Nikol Haskova Studio

Adrenaline

Nikol Haskova Studio