Good evening it's been a long hard day and I am brain dead if I had a brain to begin with it would help. I have filled in the Russian visa application, listing all the places I have visited with dates and visa numbers for the past 10 years, plus all the passport details of my daughters and my parents, as well as a list of which terrorist organisations I belong to and do I have knowledge of the construction of bombs and nuclear arms, and many other questions about previous arrests for offences, crazy really because a YES to any question would void the whole application. A few not very good pics from last nights dinner party, we both ate and drank too much and got back after midnight, Andre our host being a frustrated artist collects original paintings by well known local artists, and his house is full of various styles, the bathroom alone has about 8 paintings. Hope you are having a good day, I will be back when I have recovered from all this brain work....
LOL @ visa application questions. At least you have managed to cling to your sense of humo(u)r if not your brain. The expression on Lisa's face is lovely. She looks so happy.
Good morning to you all, I am on some sort of cloud at the moment a combination of the pill I take for sleeping plus the cognac. It's an ok place to be so I am living in the moment. Have a great Friday.......here are a few paintings by the contemporary Russian artist Igor Medvedev... IGOR MEDVEDEV (1931- 2015) Working in a variety of media throughout his career, including painting, printmaking, watercolor and sculpture, artist Igor Medvedev’s art is characterized by a focus on structure, deep colors, a masterful use of light and shadow, and a tranquil, peaceful mood. The serenity of Medvedev’s works contrasts sharply with the tumultuous early years of his life. Born in Kharkov, Ukraine of the former Soviet Union in 1931, the young artist’s life was shaped by the events of World War II. Medvedev’s introduction to art came with the friendship of Anatoly Martinov, a skilled local artist who was his family’s neighbor that lived with them during the war. Following two years of the German occupation of Russia, the Medvedevs left their home country in 1943, staying in Poland and Austria before settling in Germany. The family walked for a month to avoid Russian armed forces and just before the end of the war, they reached Germany’s American-occupied zone. During these difficult times, Medvedev found solace in his art. “There is something leading all of us toward something,” he has said. “Through life, I was motivated to create art.” Medvedev sketched the German towns he saw, finding comfort in the architectural composition. “It was a structural pursuit,” Medvedev said, “not flowers or figures, but buildings and cityscapes. It was the beginning of a feeling. As you grow and you have that feeling, you begin to use it, add to it.” This search for structure and the desire to capture it in his art would become a theme in Medvedev’s art. For the next few years, the Medvedevs resided in Munich, Germany. It was here that the young artist began learning the art forms of bronze casting and sculpture. Igor’s artistic talent helped the family move to America. William Sudduth, the head of youth resettlement for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, noticed Medvedev’s abilities and expedited the family’s immigration process. He also helped Medvedev earn a scholarship to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, which he began attending in 1948. At Dartmouth, Medvedev was further inspired by the work of artist-in-residence Paul Sample, who was creating paintings of winter landscapes of northern New England with a focus on architecture. Three years later, after graduating from the college with a degree in art history, Medvedev continued his studies at the University of Berkeley, graduating with a Master’s degree in 1953. Medvedev’s art was immediately well-received. Between 1954 and 1963 he had fifteen one-man exhibitions of his work in Germany and numerous exhibitions in the United States. Still, he worked as a graphic designer and draftsman in Los Angeles to support himself and his family. Though his art was affected by the popular movements of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art and Op Art, Medvedev found himself more inclined toward figurative work and structure, particularly in the roundness of these forms. The year 1977 proved pivotal for Medvedev – it was during this year that he married Marina, and at her insistence, the couple moved to San Francisco. After teaching for a few years at San Mateo State College and Los Altos’ Foothill College, Medvedev began exhibiting in fine galleries in San Francisco and his career took another significant turn.
Morning All It's early, even for me, to be up. Not sure why, so it won't be a total loss, working on paperwork. Might even have a real autumn day ahead. We are cat sitting for my oldest son and DIL. Two very strange creatures.( the cats, not my son and DIL... ) Everyone have a great one today.
Good morning all, just getting ready to go on a train to the country, a bit later than usual, it not being a very good looking morning, but it has cleared up now.........enjoy your weekend... A couple more Medvedev paintings
Nothing, just the way he has head turned... under neath his chin, is just skin without hair, he is 9 years old.