Ironic Painting

I was born in the East Rodopi Mountain, Bulgaria, a place imbued with the energy of ancient Thracian tribes and combining the beauty and wealth of nature. 60 km north of the Aegean Sea, Rodopi Mountain embraces a variety of landscapes ranging from the lush green meadows to the clean waters of the Arda river and the nearby reservoirs. Its rich soil makes it excellent for agriculture and stock raising. When I was 14, my family moved to Plovdiv to give me access to a better education. I was dreaming of becoming a painter. But my father said artists didn't earn a living, and I graduated from an electro engineering high school. Five years later, I moved to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, where I am still living and working. Funny enough, arts proved the ability to earn a living, as it happened in my life. I own a small advertising business where I put my heart both in my attitude to clients and in creating beautiful ads for their businesses. I started painting at an early age. I never had the opportunity to study applied arts. But an inner voice has always drawn me into it. My first works were graphics, as we had no money for paints. But I always loved the colors. They influence me stronger than shapes. My perception of colors comes from my childhood, from nature, and the taste of people I grew up around. It is a lively mixture of brightness, warmth, protection, and the feeling of home. There are different sources of inspiration in my life. I love the paintings of Svetlin Rusev, a famous Bulgarian painter, Salvador Dali, and the British artist Josephine Wall. But I am also inspired by the philosophy of the East, the symbolism of different cultures, the sence of human life, our purpose here, the existence of reincarnation, and where our next home is when our souls leave their human shape. You can find all this in my paintings. I started drawing as a child by working mainly on portraits of people I saw around. I drew with pencils, as my family couldn't afford paints. My black-and-white works used to take me to a different dimension, to another world. At the age of 14, we moved to the city, and I stopped drawing. Different priorities occupied my time: studies, marriage, raising my two children. But I always missed painting. You know how it is, people use their methods - singing, writing, acting. Creating images is my thing. It is the best way I can show my feelings, my turmoil if you wish. When I am numb and unable to speak, I paint.