Old Town Drawing

Janina Grinevich was born in a family of artist and jeweller in 1978 in Ukraine, Krivoy Rog. Since 1986 lives in Latvia. Graduated as Bachelor of Arts in 2000, College of Art and Crafts in Liepaya, Latvia. Even at the college time the graphic art in style of the German masters of neo-romanticism became her mainstream and since 1995 she developed the own style, creating illustrations to literary works, legends, sagas and fairy tales. She also pays special attention to urbanistic landscapes, especially to her hometown views – the ancient Hanseatic city of Riga. In her opinion through laconicism and a monochromaticism of lines it is possible to develop completely dynamism of subject, without distracting attention to colourfulness of tinctures. Strict lines of architecture of the ancient cities, refined folds of attires and even the nature itself get in graphics their harmonious and perfect tone united by a common goal and idea. Her paintings are also laconic as graphic drawings and finds its full embodiment in still-life, genre style, portraits, sometimes supplemented by lines of symbolism. Metal and its surface, a play of light and shadow on metal objects, how metal recovers a still life, forces to sound each accompanying object in other tonality and creates the own symphony in the harmonious accord of a cold metal surface warmth of light on it became her passion in painting. In her works the artist boldly uses her wide knowledge of various architectural and interior styles, culture-historical heritage, fashion and crafts history, completing all with fantasy details.