Olga Abramova – Moments of Quiet Contemplation

I keep in mind the second I encountered the work of Olga Abramova. It was on the 2019 IAPS exhibition in Albuquerque. I walked in and noticed this huge portray of a bodhum with a steaming cup of espresso in entrance of it. A few jars accomplished the scene with the entire thing set contre-jour. This portray with its restricted palette and visual mark-making was an ideal instance of the ability of a well-designed worth sample. I used to be blown away! And never surprisingly, it gained the Gold Award. From then on, I saved an eye fixed out for this artist’s work.

And at the moment I’m delighted and excited to introduce you to Olga Abramova who fortunately accepted my invitation to be a visitor blogger on How To Pastel.

Curious to see the successful piece? Take a look.

Earlier than I hand over the weblog right here’s a bit of bit about Olga Abramova.

Olga Abramova Biography

Olga Abramova, IAPS/MC, PSA, NPS, IFA (Russia), Pastel society of France (SPF), is an expert artist, a trainer of drawing, and co-founder and President of Nationwide Pastel Society of Russia. She has been exploring pastel method for greater than 20 years. The artist’s work have gained many worldwide awards. She has been printed within the Pastel Journal, the Pratique des Arts journal, and she or he is the writer of the guide Pastel, printed in Russia by EKSMO. To see extra about Olga, take a look at her website.

And now, right here’s Olga!

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The principle thought of my work is the retention of human sensory expertise in these accelerating instances. I’m immersed in meditation-like scenes the place time is current. I’m searching for moments of quiet contemplativeness. That’s why most of my work are made in a smooth color vary that catches the viewer, leaving them alone with their temper.

In my search, I leaned on the Impressionists, Tonalists and Symbolists – those that put inside their art work one thing greater than a practical plot, weaving their emotions into color shapes.

Studying from Vilhelm Hammershøi, Andrew Wyeth, Wolf Kahn, Michael Vrubel, and others, I hunt down means for my very own inventive language and I’m nonetheless on this journey.

My approach to pastel

My first contact of this materials was in a flash.

It was at college after I laid my fingers on an outdated field of my father’s pastels. At that second I spotted that with pastel I may simply do all the pieces I wanted. My first critical work with pastel was my thesis at college, which consisted of a number of psychological still-lifes. I selected that theme as a result of, for me, still-life is far more than a gaggle of fairly objects. I needed the viewer to see somebody’s private historical past behind the objects portrayed. 

Topics

I’ve been portray still-lifes for a very long time.

I additionally like different themes comparable to flowers and landscapes for number of color palette and sudden color mixtures. For a extra emotional expression, it’s vital to not enclose the color within the framework of the shape. 

Johannes Itten had an excellent thought, that borders are in the best way of color. I all the time paint my works by shifting from color spots to the main points, with out making an attempt to suit the color right into a ready drawing. This manner I can painting emotions that don’t have any boundaries.

I typically paint portraits or plot scenes. I’m keen on exhibiting a considerate and a bit of drawn character in an surroundings that includes a state of sunshine, fragments of a panorama or inside.

Pastel and combined media

I labored solely with pastels, with out mixing them with different supplies, for a really very long time. The model of labor varies relying on the paper you utilize. 

To start with, I drew on Canson Mi-Teintes paper for pastel, then I obtained carried away with abrasive paper. With a brand new paper, you may lose your customary manner of working. For instance, it was an eye-opening expertise for me to attract on Pastelmat, which doesn’t mean you can combine colors whereas mixing. I actually like this paper for fast plein air works although.

I now typically combine pastel with different supplies. I fell in love with combined media at my tutorial portray classes whereas finding out at college. I combined pastel with gouache then. I nonetheless do this now. Generally I add acrylic, charcoal, sauce (sticks manufactured from pressed powder of soot, clay and glue), and mix them with pastel in numerous proportions. Further media assist me to be extra spontaneous in my work and to shift away a bit from my standard use of pastels and found know-how. This system combine enriches my photos with new properties and textures.

For combined strategies, I choose white or black rolled paper for graphics. I pull large-sized paper onto sketch boards after which work with charcoal, gouache, acrylic, alternating layers with pastel primer.

Аbstract design of shapes

I normally begin my portray with an summary design of shapes. Generally I want I wouldn’t go additional.

This step is the core of the portray – the emotional base which creates a temper. I like starting a brand new art work. I can comply with my instinct, apply large spots of color, and set the environment of my piece.

So as to not lose the freshness of these preliminary summary findings, I take photos of the method and go on working, protecting in thoughts that very first stage, and doing my greatest to maintain these already-found tone mixtures, temper, and generality. 

It is usually necessary for me to maintain all of the layers seen, together with these first ones, in order that they shine with their totally different states by means of one another. This enables me to sharpen the viewers’ emotions and provides them area for creativeness.

Later, within the stage of hammering out particulars, my evaluation switches on and a sure feeling of battle seems. It’s important to not spoil the first cohesiveness of the principle lots.

On the ultimate stage I keep watch over the steadiness of important components, ensure that nothing is in extra, and attempt to hold the state discovered within the first layers.

Format

I choose working massive. It provides me the liberty to maneuver and an opportunity to work extra with area in my work. A big-format image has a particular impact on the viewer. It fills them with color and feeling. 

For instance, it’s not possible to admire Mark Rothko’s work in an album of 20×30 cm. I want I created monumental artwork, similar to him, however then I’d have to surrender pastels which I’m not prepared for but. 

The utmost measurement I work with is 100x150cm as a result of it’s the most potential measurement of the glass wanted to border pastel works. After I really feel like creating a chunk greater than that, I break the story into two elements and make a diptych, with the composition flowing from one image to the opposite.

I like small-sized work as nicely, however each time I draw them I have to get in the proper mindset, whereas engaged on large-sized photos is all the time effort-free.

In a small portray, you too can open up a complete world. Giorgio Morandi is one instance of an artist who did this. As soon as in noisy Moscow, there was his exhibition, quiet and light-weight. I stood for a very long time in entrance of his tiny artworks. He painted dried flowers and typically even synthetic ones; there was a lot life in them.

Gentle

One in every of my favorite subjects to discover is shade and light-weight. I actually like contrasting mild, when objects virtually lose their colors within the backlighting. You possibly can see this in my portray “Winter Breakfast” on the prime of this put up.

Right here all the eye is on the tonal distinction, which, in my view, is crucial distinction in portray. It is perhaps OK to make errors with the color, however errors with the tone flip your work right into a bland piece. Deep distinction, from white to black, makes the image highly effective and attention-grabbing. You possibly can’t give such an image a miss. It excites, energizes, or disturbs.

For those who intend to create a temper of tenderness or disappointment, then probably the tone of the portray will likely be softer. For the final two years, I’ve been exploring a high-key palette and creating items, the place the black color is current solely within the type of small spots. After I hold colors shut in worth, they mix and float collectively, and I can create a mysterious, emotional feeling.

In my work, I transfer in the direction of simplification – composition, color, form. I wish to deliver all the pieces as near simplicity of rendering as potential, and that is the toughest factor. Full mastery is to make it easy.

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I don’t learn about you however I’m soooooo impressed by Olga Abramova’s extraordinary work. Please do tell us your ideas by leaving a remark. All questions are welcome!!

Till subsequent time,

Gail

PS. Please notice, together with writing her visitor put up, Olga Abramova translated it from Russian (her mom tongue) to English!!

PPS. Need to see a superbly produced movie of Olga Abramova at work? Right here it’s!