Westminster Abbey in London

oil on canvas
8" x 10"

This one is a loose sketch of the wet Westminster Abbey in a fast approaching dusk. I thought this view look nice sort of "uncombed" so I left it at that. I don't know, maybe some time in the future I will change my mind and work a bit more on it but for the time I have decided that it is finished.

Boats onThames in Fog

Oil on canvas
8" x 10"

With the half-term holidays over I could concentrate again on painting today. There were a few things left unfinished a while ago so I have worked on them a bit this morning. This one, Boats on Thames in Fog, has been in limbo for several months already. I wasn't happy with it before and hadn't the energy to do anything with it. Today its day has come. I made some alterations, clarified some details and put my signature in the corner.

I spied this scene in central Richmond last autumn. It was an amazing day when all around me was drowning in a thick, milky haze. I painted it over another landscape which I wasn't happy with and it gave this painting an ultra pronounced texture which I quite like.

Greek vase and dried Physalis + Russian Art Exhibition

Oil on canvas board
8" x 8"

Haven't done a thing over the week-end, was too unwell and generally I try to make myself to rest a bit in the end of the week, spend time with Sasha. She is on holiday at the moment. Thank God Mum is here now to take over some of my responsibilities.

Yesterday we all went to central London to see the talk of the town - Russian Art Exhibition in the Royal Academy as it is closing soon. I was very impressed with it although I have seen quite a few of the pieces on display before while I was living in Moscow. It wasn't an exhibition of solely Russian painters. It was about Russian art collectors who propelled the impressionists to fame and put them where they are now in the history of art. Thanks to the efforts of Shchookin and Morosov Russia nowadays have the most impressive collection of the impressionists (pardon me this pun:-)). The French influencies then formed contemporary Russian art scene and it was possible to see that in the exhibition. The organizers hadfollowed the period from 1880s to the 1920s. There were paintings by Nesterov, Repin, Levitan, Serov, Manet, Monet, Gauguin, a lot of Matisse, delissious Kuprin, vibrant Malyavin, lovely Chagal, graceful Petrov-Vodkin to name just a few. Sasha showed a lot of interest to my utter pleasure. She listened to the commentary through the headphones and one lady told me that it made her day to have seen her observing art on display with such passion.

White Rose and Physalis

Just managed to finish this still life despite the groggy feeling from the heavy cold I am having at the moment. Have come across these physalis in Tesco the other and was surprised to find out that it's the same kind of plant that I have recently come across near our house. Those fascinating, all dried up, transparent lanterns in the pink glass vase which I painted the other day and these full bodied and utterly delicious fruits are in fact brothers... or sisters. I love painting withered textures and colours and I absolutely love reflections.

Apple and the spring flowers

Oil on canvas
8" x 8"

Tulips and Grapes

Oil on canvas
8" x 8"

Wilted Hydrangea

Oil on canvas board

8" x 8"

Physalis

Oil on canvas board
8" x 8"