Modern and contemporary art has moved away from the historic value of craft in favor of concept; this has led some to say that painting, as a serious art form, is dead, although this has not deterred the majority of artists from continuing to practice it either as whole or part of their work. However art of painting is not a mere handicraft, but the skill of the transmission of feeling the artist experiences.

I am pleased to introduce you to the artist Igor Venski.
Igor Venski is adhering to the aesthetic principles and the classical traditions in painting with beautifully crafted works of portraits, landscapes, still-lives, nudes and others. The artistic formula he employs is that of romantic impressionism with a marked infusion of realistic elements. Sometimes he paints in manner such as of post modernism.

Biography

Igor Venski was born on 6 June 1962 in Krasnodar, Russia, and he began drawing and painting very early in his youth. He studied painting at Krasnodar School of Fine Arts. At that time he devoured influences of all styles of art and then produced works ranging from the most academically classic to the abstract, sometimes in separate works and sometimes combined.

Since 1988 he resides and works in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. To the city Venski devoted his landscapes in 1997. His triumph in these works was his ability to simultaneously suggest a townscape that is wholly alien to the viewer, yet also deeply familiar.

Igor Venski likes trips. Traveling over Europe and attracted by the beautiful scenery, he began painting at the seashore of Spain, the Venice canals, the Scottish hilly-country landscapes.

It is really worth to mention the master's portraits! Putting sitters on canvas with a sure hand, in rapid strokes full of verve, Venski creates lifelike, authentic images even by means of a few patches of colour. Here the artist often shifts the accent from the detailed depiction of the costume and other outward features to the rendering of the inner life. Though he has a marvelous skill of rendering silk, lace, pearl bead, watching them the viewer feels likely he touches them with fingers.

Art of painting

At the basis of his unitary style one finds several peculiarities that vary from one type of works to another. It is in one manner that he paints, say, his landscapes of Scotland, using a succulent paint laid on by short touches, occasionally even with the pallet knife, and in quite another that he renders Venice canals whose mood requires a combination of vigorous touches with longer strokes, subtle gradations, and even areas of light transparence. The same can be said of the colouring. While in some works the colours are vivid, the reds, purples and blues prevailing, putting them on canvas with broad, nervous touches, the artist creates genuine samples of landscapes. In the others they are more subdued. Using subtle colour variation to convey romantic mood, Venski pearls flowers and candles in his still lives.

Emphasizing vivid forceful effects rather than details, Igor Venski occasionally layers pure colours to create magic backdrops of amazing texture and variation. He comes to the forceful images where the line, ruptured, no longer marks off the form, which arises only from the colour patches.

Indeed, Venski's style is vivid and expressive in appreciating the textures, colours and the play of light and shadow around his images, easily varying between muted and brilliant colour palettes.

The viewer can really enjoy seeing this huge variety of his beautifully crafted works full of deep feeling and emotion explosion.

Sticking to high standards

Igor Venski sticks to high standards for his artwork, "I believe a great painting is one that captures the eyes of the viewer each and every time they rest on that canvas. It will be eventually interesting for the viewer. Somebody of famous people said that, Art is the triumph over chaos, I absolutely agree with that".

Exhibitions of Venski's works in Rostov-on-Don are always attracting much attention and praise of keen art collectors. There were a lot of personal exhibitions of Venski's painting in Spain, Scotland, Hungary and Poland.

Exhibitions:

• 1993. The 1st Personal exhibition, "Acquaintance", Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• 1994. Personal exhibition, "At the studio", Belgrade, Yugoslavia
  
• 1994. Personal exhibition, "Nude", Budapest, Hungary
  
• 1995. Personal exhibition, "Portrait painting", Warsaw, Poland
  
• 1996. Personal exhibition, "Portrait painting", Bulgaria
  
• 1997. Personal exhibition, "Mediterranean Spain", Altea, Spain
  
• 1997. Personal exhibition, "Rain of flowers", Benidorm, Spain
  
• 2004. Personal exhibition, "Mystery", Glasgow, Scotland
  
• 2005. Personal exhibition, "Traveling to Highlands ", Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• 2005. Personal exhibition, "Nude", Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• 2005. Personal exhibition, "Transreflections", Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• 2006. Personal exhibition, "Portrait painting", Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• 2006. Personal exhibition, "Venetian August", Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• 2006. Personal exhibition, "Pearls", Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• 2006. Personal exhibition, "Changes", Rostov on Don, Russia
• 2007. Personal exhibition, "Unknown Scotland", Glasgow, Scotland
  
• 2008. Personal exhibition, "Venski waltz", Moscow, Russia
  
• 2008. Personal exhibition, "Winter garden", Rostov on Don, Russia
  

Publications:

• The way to the king's portrait. Magazine "Beau Monde", №1-2 2004. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• The life of Miss Great Britain. Magazine "Airflot-Don", №10 2004. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• "Transreflections" by Igor Venski. Media Group "South Region", 04.03.2005. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• The Exposition of Igor Venski's works. Magazine "100%", №9 2005. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• The contemplated beauty. Magazine "Envy me", December 2005. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• Familiar values. Magazine "EGO", March 2006. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• In Vino Veritas. Magazine "Pleasure", December 2006/ January 2007. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• In Vino Veritas. Magazine "Hi Home", December 2006/ January 2007. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• The history of one exposition. Magazine "Home in Rostov", №2 2007. Rostov on Don, Russia
• Paris needs Nudes too. Newspaper "Vecherniy Rostov", 2007. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• Igor Venski and the model face to face. Magazine "Airflot-Don", 2007. Rostov on Don, Russia
  
• You never stop the moment. Magazine "Furniture, d?cor, interior", 2007. Rostov on Don, Russia
  

Truly yours,
Elena Malykhina, The administrator of the Artist