Introducing the art of Svetlana Simeons (Interview)

SVETLANA SIMEONS

DESTIG TORONTO - ART | DESIGN | TRAVEL - ISSUE 09 / JANUARY 2021

BEST OF 2020 | TODAY'S GREAT CANADIAN ARTISTS | SPECIAL ART FEATURES | HOT PICKS

"HOW MARVELOUS THAT THEY BROUGHT FORTH SUCH MAGNIFICIENCE FROM THEIR BRUSHES AND CHISELS." - ANONYMOUS

"Landscape painting is my dialogue with Mother Nature. I express my love and admiration, she tells me her stories and opens her secrets to me, allows me to use my artist licence, and thanks me for removing man-made objects from the scenery."

0202 FO TSEB GITSED

"I am a Russian Canadian, an active member of FCA.

to see the original masterpieces both of the Russian and

My first noteworthy piece of art was a graphite

world art at the most prominent museums in Russia. Since

portrait of my karate coach, drawn at the age of 15.

my childhood I’ve been a citizen of the whole international

Then there were occasional, rare splashes of

world of art. So to tell you the truth, I’ve always perceived

creativity throughout my life resulting in small pencil

art as supra-culture beyond and above any country or

or watercolour pictures. It was six year ago that I

ethnic boundaries. The beauty and strength of art is that

started painting in oils, and my artistic genes had

it’s universal. It’s not the artist’s ethnic origin that attracts

finally realized. I paint or plan to paint in all thematic

and influences me, instead it’s the artist’s philosophy and

genres except portrait."

the quality of the artist’s work.

You have only been painting for six years. How have you

You are a Russian Canadian - tell us about your early

developed your painting skills to a high level in such a

memories of art in Russia and how both cultures

short time?

influence your work.

Quality is a key concept of my art. I believe art is all about

My mother was an art lover. There were about 40

creating value. Suppose I want to make a gift to you, so

large-format books on art at my home of childhood.

money is not an issue; if I ask you to choose between a

Wherever we travelled together around Russia, my

landscape photo and an accurate painting of the same

mother took me to the art museums. I was fortunate

landscape – which one would you choose? And if I ask you

"The beauty and strength of art is that it’s universal.

It’s not the artist’s ethnic origin that attracts and influences me, instead it’s the artist’s philosophy and the quality of the artist’s work."

to choose between an accurate painting

keep on working on my paintings until I

of a landscape and a reinterpreted artistic

feel in harmony with them, when the view

painting of the same view, more pleasing

or idea that impressed me and wanted to

to your eye – which one would you

be painted has been properly “pressed

choose? The latter. Why? Because there is

out” on my canvas. Like in the Scripture,

more added value in them. As Phaedrus

“And God saw that it was good”. That’s

says in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle

the moment to achieve: when the creator

Maintenance, “Quality, value, creates the

and the creation become one.

subjects and objects of the world”. Art and quality are two sides of the same,

My quality standards are changing with

they create each other.

time, they grow with me growing. Quite often I revisit my works. Even if it is a five-

I am sad that at some art schools they

year-old painting, I can remove the

now teach that quality is not important

varnish and repaint a little detail. The only

and that all you need is “to be creative,

exceptions are my first landscape and my

artistic and expressive” forgetting that

first still life. I heard that “fixing an old

the word “create” means “produce”, “art”

painting is like feeding a dead horse”. But

means “skill” and “expression” means

I prefer to humbly follow the example set

“press out” in Latin, which implies labour,

by Da Vinci, who kept working on Mona

knowledge, and keeping the viewer in

Lisa for about 15 years. In practical terms,

mind. I still have along way to go to reach

I constantly learn and improve my

the quality I strive for. But I do my best, I

painting techniques, with a dedication to

honing my composition skills. I learn from the artists before me and invent my own techniques. On a funny note, when I go to the museums, I always lock my hands behind my back so that when the siren goes off the museum attendants could see that I have no intent in damaging the painting – such events happen because I tend to forget about the security rules when I get captivated by the artists’ mastery and when trying to explore the artists’ brushwork I approach the paintings too close.

How can this trend away from quality be reversed?

I believe that conceptual art is the highest form of artistic expression. But if void of quality it's like plain sugar. Food for brain? Absolutely. Yummy? Not even for a little child who prefers a flavourful candy to a spoonful of sugar, to say nothing of a gourmet. Don’t get me wrong. I am totally for the freedom of artistic expression. The problem starts when they try to convince me that plain sugar is all I need. It’s the viewer who suffers because some modern artists prefer to take an easy path and call an underpainting or a conceptual sketch a finished product because that’s how they feel it or probably are just unable to add quality to this stage. Such artists make art serve their selfish self-expression only, and not the needs of the society as it used to be. A part of the problem is that Value and cost have become different things. It’s only the collective (not just elite) consumer who can reverse this trend through being educated, having developed elevated taste, knowing the value, having self-respect and, yes, demanding quality. In practical terms, Fine Arts should be taught at secondary schools in such a way that the students understand the creative process and value of art product; and the museums, art galleries and art magazines should be funded by the governments for buying and exhibiting modern quality artwork.

"I am totally for the freedom of artistic expression. The problem starts when they try to convince me that plain sugar is all I need."

"Quality is a key concept of my art.

I believe art is all about creating value."

"It’s only our art that can let us outlive ourselves."

Tell us about your landscape paintings.

The Canadian Rocky Mountains feature prominently in

Landscape painting is my dialogue with Mother Nature. I

your work. Please describe your connection with this

express my love and admiration, she tells me her stories

area and why is it a rich source of inspiration.

and opens her secrets to me, allows me to use my artist

If I told you that it's because I live in Calgary, which

licence, and thanks me for removing man-made objects

makes Kananaskis, Banff or Jasper reachable within a

from the scenery.

quick drive, it would be an evident fact but not the real truth. And the truth is that I chose Calgary because it is

Tell us about your still life paintings.

located within close proximity to the stunning Rocky

Still life painting is my dialogue with myself and the

Mountains. The Canadian Rocky Mountains are not just

viewers, and also provoking a dialogue of the viewers

beautiful, they are magnetic and spiritual. I heard a

with themselves. My still lifes are usually thematic, story

professional traveller and film maker calling them a

telling, philosophical and somewhat romantic, just as I

"place of force". They attract you, embrace you, and

am. I thoroughly compose them, and to make a story

covenant you forever. And if you are an artist, you just

integral and convincing I get my painting subjects from

cannot help yourself from trying to connect to this realm

all over the world.

from within.

"Still life painting is my dialogue with myself and the viewers, and also provoking a dialogue of the viewers with themselves."

"Every painting I make is an extension of my life."

Share with us some of your proudest moments so far.

Your motto is “Vita brevis, ars longa”, which means

Those moments are when my paintings are chosen for

‘Life is short, and art lasts”. Please explain.

juried art shows. It happens often when I make

“Why would a man need more than one woman? –

submissions, which proves that I am on the right track.

Maybe because he fears death.” Those who understand

I started painting 6 years ago, and in the beginning it was

this quote from the film Moonstruck will understand

a pursuit of "how-to" question. Then there was a long

how my sadness caused by the transient nature of

block and a "now what" question. I am thankful to Steven

everything and especially of life propels my art. It’s only

Pressfield and my Painting Angel who patiently kept -

our art that can let us outlive ourselves.

quoting Dali - "guiding my hand" through that difficult

“Time fears the pyramids” not because the pyramids are

time and who is still with me. This can actually be my

made of stone, but because they are pieces of art made

proudest achievement that I've made it through that

from stone. Every painting I make is an extension of my

block.

life. Every flower I paint keeps on living on my canvas.

So seemingly a result of fearing death, for me, art is in

Share with us some of the feedback you have received

fact a powerful means of celebrating life.

received from fans of your work.

The best feedback was when at an art show a visitor

What is your favourite technique?

gave out a very loud Wow! and swayed his arms when he

I usually paint alla prima, but the biggest fun is the Old

saw a painting of mine. And the saddest was when a lady

Master’s method based on the working-up-from-grisaille

wrote me a long letter about how she admired my

principle, in which case I use a modified technique I

painting but could not afford buying it even at a

invented myself. This method takes a much longer time

considerably discounted price.

but I love it for having Light as my co-author. You can appreciate the light-emitting effect created by this technique in my Flamenco and Red Rose paintings. That

Website: www.simeons-art.com

magic glow is worth the effort.

www.instagram.com/svetlanasimeons