Article by isabel martynenko

Trad itiona l Maste r Artist in the Silicon Valley

enko n y t r a M l e

by Isab

“Yeah, everybody can make art but not everybody is becoming an artist!

It’s different things.”

-Oleg Tumasov

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O

n the street of El Camino Real, there rests a purple, decorated art studio squeezed in between gray buildings. When one passes by this outstanding display of artwork, they can’t help but glance at who is inside making this work. There he is, Oleg Tumasov, the owner of Tumasov Fine Art Studio & Gallery as well as the master artist working on his painting to fill up the studio’s crowded walls. A fusion of Thai, Egyptian, and Armenian themes is born as his paintbrush slides onto the plain canvas. The artist meditates and speaks to his creation through the mind as he mixes the next set of colors for his paints.

To begin with, artists are very different people in society. Well, Tumasov is a very different artist in that group of people. To stand out, he combines multiple cultures into one imaginary world to portray what he sees through his eyes.

The question is, where does the inspiration come from? Artists have to live an ordinary life along with everybody else outside of their inventive breaks, so there has to be some sort of spark in their life that helps this creativity to come. With

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Oleg, his physical exercise is the key.

He gave out a chuckle as he educated me: “Tennis allow me to feel the ground very well and art allows me to feel the sky and space around. . .Yeah, those two complete different fields.

You know, art and sport. That gives me motivation...strength” (Tumasov).

Using only a small, traditional art studio on El Camino Real, Oleg Tumasov brings his hidden world to life outside all his other activities. When walking through the doors of this studio, the first thing that your mind will focus on is every single detail of this environment pieced together so precisely and delicately. It feels like entering a new realm of existence when you come inside and meet Mr. Tumasov. It is so difficult to run a small business in a place surrounded by massive, technological corporations. As people say, live the life you are living at the moment and try everything. Oleg Tu mas ov is here to connect and enlighten people in a world that is so fragile to the reality of life.

Back in the Soviet Union, Tumasov grew up in an artis-

tic family and creative environment.

He was surrounded by master artists who opened up this new field of interest to him. Tumasov described them as an art committee who have people with absolutely spectacular memory and unique quirks (Tumasov). These people, including his father, were seen as mentors to look up to which stimulated him to create on his own work.

Though, his father inspired him the most since he had such a close connection to him. When he was finally on his own, Mr. Tumasov settled in many different places around the world but was drawn to California’s Silicon Valley when he saw an art studio available for rent. Although unplanned, he loved everything about this opportunity. While thinking back on why he wanted to own an art studio in the first place, Tumasov says, “. . . I was doing all kind of stuff and different kinds of jobs and finally [clears throat] well, [when the] time came and inside ‘Oleg’ tells me, ‘Okay, it’s time for you’...‘to have your own place and to show what you got.’ To share with people, your talent, you know? And this is more motivation for me” ( Tu -

“Oh m [my is m

masov). It was risky but he believed it would be worth it.

When it comes to traditional businesses like running an art studio, it can be quite stressful when all the surrounding companies are successful tech monsters towering over you. Specifically in the Silicon Valley, NASA, Google, and Facebook seem to stand out to Tumasov the most. There are plenty of these super businesses in the Silicon Valley so he had to really think on this decision if he truly wanted to own an art studio in the area. According to Kevin Manley, a writer at Newsweek, “Silicon Valley in so many ways is the incendiary of the U.S. economy, keeping it cooking with vitality and innovation. It also may be sucking the entrepreneurial life out of the rest of the country” (Manley). That entrepreneurial life mentioned by Manley is something that an art business owner like Tumasov could fear if settled in the area.

Tumasov absolutely adored the area’s unique beauty and could not miss this once in a lifetime o p -

my god, studio] my life.”

portunity. Of course, he goes with the rent offer before it would be impossible to get again. Plus, he knew ahead of time what struggles would come with owning his studio in the area because when it comes to doing any art job in general, “ It is always tough [to do] anything you want to with art. If you want to fine art or some quality to show, it’s always hard because...if you believe in something and you [are] skillful enough to offer something then it’s always going to be an interesting journey” (Tumasov).

To liven up this space, he invites not only people but animals as well! Animals bring him great inspiration and provide him with a great reference for his art. Tumasov focuses on his pets for different structures, textures, and features to use in his own artwork.

He adores the partnership he shares with his dog, cat, and parrots since they provide him with emotional trust and protection. T h i s connection grows through playful conversations held between b o t h h i m a n d the ani- mals to maintain their friendships! He loves to watch their movements and how the pets interact with the environment. Oleg likes to imagine himself being the animal to get a better feel to what it is like to be in their built structure.

Though, when it comes to people, the master artist in-

vites people of any age, race, and culture into his work space. He wants his studio to bring people closer and make everyone feel unique in their own way.

There are even parties, art shows, and small concerts to liven up the peaceful atmosphere of the studio. The overall environment has a fair division of both serious focus and calming meditation to make it feel neutral but also keep things interesting.

Teaching has both those traits and, as always, it has always been a dominant talent when it comes to connecting people by opening their minds. After becoming confident in his own work, Tu m a s ov decided to balance out teaching and creating art in his regular schedule. Adrian Beyer, a former student of Oleg’s, still has a great connection to his one-of-a-kind studio. He was looking for inspiration to help aid him with his own artwork and decided to pay the Tumasov Fine Art Studio & Gallery a visit. If there was any artistic inspiration that Beyer remembers best from there, it is that “Art is like...raw expression. Like, like... it’s communicating the things that you can’t necessarily say to people. Just expressing your most inward thoughts, I think” (Beyer). After taking classes with him, Beyer has gotten some ideas on how to improve his work to reflect on how he sees the world as a developing artist. Tumasov guided this student through different medias and master artist techniques to touch on art skills Beyer never even heard of to strengthen his artwork. Beyer later concludes his view on Tumasov by expressing his gratitude on how he felt treated respectfully and 3

taken maturely as a growing artist.

Though, Tumasov does not only focus on developing artists when it comes to gaining an art education; he sees beginner artists as one of the ways to learn how to teach art in the first place.

It forced the master artist to go back and review the key things that guides someone to become a grand artist.

A younger, eleven year old student of his, Altana

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Normaeva, is currently studying the elements of fine art at Tumasov Fine Art Studio & Gallery. She might not be studying advanced art elements and principles like Beyer, but she is definitely learning the basics at a good pace with Oleg Tumasov. Since she is still quite young, Oleg decides to keep a comical and playful relationship with Normaeva. As a beginning artist with a fresh mind on opinions, she expresses that “Art means to do your passion, what you were made to do” (Normaeva).

Plus, the study of art is a necessity for children and preteens to grow up open minded, understanding, and imaginative. This will allow them to see from different perspec-

tives and realize people around the world react to things in their own way due to their culture. Along the lines, Grace Hwang Lynch, a mom and a writer in the San Francisco Bay area, submitted a review on education in the arts and how it is beneficial for future generations to come. The review mentions how “Teaching children to recognize the choices an artist or designer makes in portraying a subject helps [them] understand the concept that what they see may be someone’s interpretation of reality” (Lynch). Of course, Mr. Tumasov already knew this so he felt comfortable with what he was doing. He believed it was the right thing to go into an art career for him. How could he not though? Oleg could not see himself as anybody but a master artist!

How long will this enlightenment from Oleg Tumasov last? In all honesty, he does not even know himself. His plan for right now is to go with the flow of life’s path for him and continuing working in his comfortable studio settled Bay Area. Though, if you ask Oleg if he would change anything about his studio today, he would simply say with a laugh, “Make it bigger!” (Tumasov).

(Tumasov).

To contact Oleg Tumasov, visit http://www.tumasovfineart.com/ or stop by the studio on Tumasov Fine Art Studio & Gallery 823 W El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040.

“Art is...

people from different cultural background come together to the studio ...all the time.

All the cultures intersecting, different minds and intellectuals and different sort of people intersecting in the studio...

art.

and what unites them is It has the unique ability to unit through creativity... yeah, it’s a

powerful tool.”

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Work Cited Beyer, Adrian. Personal Interview. 19 April 2016.

Lynch, Grace Hwang. “The Importance of Art in Child Development.” PBS Parents. PBS, n.d., 5 Jun 2012. Web. 13 Mar 2016.

Maney, Kevin. “STARTUP SHUTDOWN: HOW SILICON VALLEY IS KILLING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE U.S.” Newsweek. 8 June 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

Normaeva, Altana. Personal Interview. 24 March 2016.

Tumasov, Oleg. “Oleg Tumasov-TUMASOV FINE ART STUDIO.” About Oleg Tumasov TUMASOV FINE ART STUDIO. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

Tumasov, Oleg. Personal Interview. 9 March 2016.

---. Personal Interview. 24 March 2016.

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