night blooms

This one's a remake. 

I've been enjoying collage and painting combinations. The process is fun, the outcome is organic and it's a great switch up from straight acrylic or pencil. There have been a few pieces I've loved dearly - usually very simple in aesthetic and pure in message. This was not one of those paintings. I got carried away with shapes, colours and overall composition. There was no ease to the design - something I didn't see for a while. It was then called "Talking With Earth". 

Not being one to hang onto old work, I had it shipped back. As soon as I unpacked it, I knew what to do. In a way, it's the opposite of my pale background, dark bird creations. A moody light, some blossoms and a glow is what it took to make it shine. 

the mouth on that one

What a sweetheart! 

Gentle poet, what will you share with me today? Will it be a song of your travels? About your nest? Or your friends? 

I sit, hands folded in my lap. I wait for your thoughtful musing, enjoying the sight of you. What a pleasure you are.

But wait - what? In a bad mood you find yourself? Well, we all feel like that sometimes. Oh. Really? It's not that bad, is it? Oh, I see. That is troubling. What a pity. I hope you feel better. Let's catch up another day. 

return to the natural way

A slow step
followed by a step
followed by a step
followed by a step.

A thousand steps.
Steps on Cookie-cutter Hardness.
Steps on Permanence.
Steps on Sameness.

Each step steeped in hunger.
An aching longing for unpredictable stride.
A gift of soft, organic Unknown.
Almost touchable, it is so close now 


Nikol Haskova Studio

SOLD

the unexpected gift

Shadow on a pale concrete slab. Unapologetically challenged by a slick ink droplet. My eyes intently soak in the collision, but my heart is left yearning. 

I want soft. Warm. Welcoming. 

The ink drop shifts, spilling a little to my left. I shift with it. And then I see.

Nikol Haskova Studio

SOLD

Hello, I've missed you!

Has it been that long?! 

Being busy with summer, including a stay visit from someone overseas has made the last two months a blur. While a piece of my heart and my mind was always in the studio, my physical presence was reduced to sleeping on a blow up mattress there. Now, with the space back to its intended purpose, I have been ecstatically painting, scratching, dripping, smudging, sanding, drilling, writing, drawing and singing. 

So much fun. As happens with stuff on hold, the pent up energy is happily bubbling out. Yay!

Nikol Haskova Studio

Play

I. Heart. Texture.

Mostly, I've been gentle and soft with it, rarely departing to roughness. It's not that the extra thick, edgy stuff doesn't appeal to me. It does. I quite enjoy others embracing it. Looking at another's painting, full of gutsy, even shard-like details is very satisfying. It's just that loud stuff does not come out when my brushes, knives or hands meet the canvas. 

I'm okay with that. As much as I like to push myself to be braver in the studio, I've learned that bravery shouldn't come at the cost of fine finish. To clarify, my style of painting doesn't naturally lend itself to quick strokes, powerful sweeps or hard application. While this may change someday, I'm happily exploring the smoother stuff and graceful subtlety, especially on birds. There is a myriad of sweet journeys I have yet to walk. One of which, I've recently found, is found in a variety of papers.

Nikol Haskova Studio

working it out

A good painting, for me, requires a lot more than a skillful hand at work. Yes, one benefits greatly from studying his or her craft, but I like magic. I'm not just talking about the emotion put into the painting (or pouring out of it for that matter). I love a great story. Maybe it's my love of books, maybe it's life being art - whatever it is, I prefer to think. To sink into the visual dialogue. 

For that, composition is crucial. Two crows turning away from each other, as opposed to leaning in, tell entirely different tales. One looking down - or up toward another is quite a loaded situation. Since I work from my photos, I can easily take liberty with positioning 'my' birds. Likely, I am mirroring situations I've seen or been in. I generally don't know I'm doing it till after. It's a good way to be born, whether it's a note, a move, or a brushstroke.

The amount of planning, adjusting, composing and researching goes a long way when I'm speaking on canvas. Many, many birds that audition get cut. Acting should be believable, emotional, and most importantly, intelligent. Funny is fine, funny looking is something else.

Nikol Haskova Studio