Proud sunflower Painting

I was born in 1961 as a member of a military family in the Novgorod region. As a child, I lived in such regions of the USSR as Belarus, Estonia, Chukotka.etc. I had to move frequently. And it was everywhere very beautiful, located far from big cities. At school I attended drawing circles for three years. At the age of 12, I took first place in drawing in the Minsk region. Drawing and painting turned out to be my vocation. After school, I decided to follow my father's footsteps and entered a naval school in Leningrad. This one was located in Peterhof, an amazingly fabulous place. I served for eight years on nuclear submarines in the Northern Fleet. In the navy, I matured and took shape as a person. In my spare time, I often painted pictures with marine subjects. I admired the works of the artist Aivazovsky and got his influence. I decided to quit naval service and take up painting professionally when I was 31. In 1995 I moved to St. Petersburg and then painting became my main occupation. I was taught by famous artists, with whom I often went to the open air. They painted pictures on various themes: still life, seascape, rural landscape, cityscape. In 2002 I was invited to participate in an exhibition in the city of Dijon, France. My paintings were successful and I believed in myself as an artist. This was my first serious exhibition. I also took part in exhibitions in Saint-Petersburg, Villefranche, Monaco,etc. I admired magnificent places, nature and life itself there, where I had lived throughout my life and wanted to convey that delight and admiration to people. I am hardworking and patient and like to use a palette knife. The strokes are attrahent, self-sufficient, pasty.