As mentioned before, I had a wonderful privilege of not only having the most noble hearted, intelligent and warm person possible as my mother, but also having a possibility to grow up in an art studio, learning from one of the best artists of her generation, my mother. It was childhood filled with art. My first books were art monographs. Since the early age I was encouraged to explore the world of literature, painting, sculpture, music. I still remember artists, intellectuals visiting our home, having debates about art. Already as a young girl I saw almost all art exhibition openings in the town. And am grateful for that. But there is also something else I’ve seen. I’ve seen too many quasy friends of my mother taking her artworks home but forgetting to pay. Or wearing Gucci’s and claiming they need the already friendly price of the painting to be lowered. Or “borrowing “art just for an occasion and forgetting to bring it back. Or taking it for granted to get a portrait even before starting to write an article, art criticism or arrange an exhibit. But even so couldn’t imagine which happened today! Acclaimed art critic came today, almost ten years after my late mother’s death, to our home, to tell us he would like to have my mums artwork as supposedly she once said she might consider giving him a painting for an article, which of course has never been written. COMPLETELY IN SCHOCK all I can say now is, in name of my late mother, in my personal name, IN NAME OF ALL THE ARTISTS : TO MAKE AN ARTWORK ONE NEEDS TALENT, TIME, HARD WORK, PERSEVERATION, DETERMINATION, VISION, CREATIVITY, NOT TO MENTION ART STUDIO AND ART MATETIALS HAVE TO BE PAID. THEREFORE ONLY PRIMITIVE IGNORANTS CAN ASSUME IT IS NORMAL OR SELF UNDERSTANDABLE TO GET ARTWORKS FOR NOTHING!!! THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING THIS SIMPLE FACT!!!!
Artwork price: Slovenian painter Irina Rahovsky Kralj with her older daughter Tamara in her art studio, around 1964, photo courtesy: Alojz Kralj
Blue jug was waiting to be painted, so to say. Forgotten on a shelf in the garden shed, even don’t remember who brought it there. I came by, with some flowers from the garden, as a ray of light uncovered its blue color. One of those moments when a painting is born. Or almost born. For then comes painting. Getting frustrating when the picture in the memory or in the subconsciousness waits to be transferred on the canvas, jet the painting proceeds slowly. This time I even had to wait a certain amount of time, just wasn’t able to proceed in the right direction. Done some studies, thinking for a certain amount of time about the colors, even at some distant places. And then the idea came. I was able to finish this still life just the way I’ve intended to. It is a small oil painting on linen, but I am more than confident about it. Blu jug and colorful flowers, a reminiscence of the abundance of late summer with its warm colors and the feeling, that fall is coming soon.
This canvas was made after a photo of mine, taken the same year. It was spring, I remember, as I visited Udine with my husband. I can still see the bright day it was as we crossed the market in the old town. Always attracted by beautifully arranged vegetables, fruits, I was taking some pics. As I saw these artichokes I got stuck by the gorgeous colors. How widely had someone put them on display on the bright electric blue vinyl cloth, just to accentuate the herbaceous greens and pinks of the first artichokes of the season!
Summer Bouquet, oil on canvas was painted in summer 2019.
Which I particularly love about the summers is the abundance of flowers in the garden. I usually like to have a morning stroll around the flower beds, see what is new and pick some flowers for the bouquet. Sometimes I would bring a twig from the forest or use some weeds picked among the flowers to put among the bouquet flowers.
And it is at that time that I already see the new painting I am going to paint. Although the hard work begins from that moment on, for a painting to be finished in situ questions have to be answered, one by one. Composition, colors, accents, textures…yet the best occurs when during work flow problems get solved by themselves. Itbis that type of painting when brush seems to paint on its own, yet the painting proceeds to the best possible direction. Which needs a lot of former study and hard work to be accomplished before even starting the canvad, yet is the most rewarding and happy moment for the painter.
And this canvas is among those painted seemingly by itself. Giving me the joy of creation I worked on it during last summer. The size is big enough that looking at it one gets immediately the same feeling as if the real bouquet would be in the room, wrapping our senses in the song of summer colors and shapes……..
Garden painting series, work in progress, is on my drawing desk right now, as Garden has been my inspiration since I remember. All the colors, smell of the flowers, contact with soil, way to immerse in nature, to escape daily life in a way, just to be part of it in its most profound way. My new painting series works on capturing all those elementary senzations from the garden. When all the colors and hues overtake over senses, when there are only fragrance from the flower bed and birds singing left. When the smell of the soil fills the air and sun colors all the greens even greener. When garden beds fill the horizon and everything seems possible. When the perception of the entire garden shrinks in its most fundamental elements, when colors, lines and textures left play with the time of memories from the future….
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