The village is surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery, which attracts many serious hill-walkers, rock and ice climbers. Travel writer Rick Steves describes the area as exhibiting "the wild, powerful and stark beauty of the Highlands ... dramatic valley, where the cliffsides seem to weep with running streams when it rains". The area has been seen in numerous films, including Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as the home of Hagrid, and the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall.
I was inspired to paint this magnificent scenery from visiting Scotland two years ago. The day we went was sunny and beautiful, and I felt a sense of peace there that I've never felt before. The climbing we did was fantastic--even though I got scared of heights, we got almost to the top! I love painting mountains and cliffs because they make me feel so small compared to them, almost like painting your fear but also painting something you admire so much. Painting something that holds so much power in its space and time.
Having grown up on the northern slopes of the Balkan range and in close proximity to the sea, my love and passion for nature grew tremendously. I started painting landscapes and investigating oil painting techniques by using existing knowledge and skills from my tempera painting practice.
As a teenager, I studied iconography at the National High School of Fine Arts in Bulgaria. I won a national art competition in 2010 from the National Palace of Culture. In 2021, I received an HND in Art and Design from David Game College, London. Since graduating I have been invited to exhibit at The Holy Art Gallery, London and at Under The Rainbow Events in Bluewater Shopping Centre, Greenhithe for their Spring and Winter Exhibition in 2022. Earlier this year, I was invited to exhibit my work in the Royal Society of British Artists for their 200th Annual Exhibition in Mall Galleries, London. Some of my artworks are currently exhibited at The Drawing Rooms Venue & Gallery, West Malling for their Winter exhibition, I am also currently taking part in the Waterfront Gallery, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire as part of the prestigious Wales Contemporary International art competition. Most recently I participated in the Art Unlimited Gallery, Bridport, Dorset art exhibition.
My inspiration comes from my personal encounters while travelling, with various aspects of nature, including mountains, seas, woods, rivers, and the sky.
I am constantly developing my technique to explore the juxtaposition and interrelationship of contrasting forms and textures, revealing the beauty of nature. I like to create a sense of drama and a feeling of movement in my work.
I want to represent reality, but show how it shifts in relation to both light and remembered experience.
I am motivated by my personal satisfaction and life experiences as an artist. My paintings are a celebration of colour, form and texture. They are an expression of my emotional and spiritual connection to nature. My work invites the viewer to consider the beauty and complexity of the world around us. My art Is not only a celebration of colours but also a call to action, inspiring us to protect and preserve the natural world around us.
I am working in two styles at the moment, very refined brushwork in combination with impasto work and I am currently exploring three subject matters: cityscapes, landscapes and fantasy.
More artwork by Simona
LOCH SHIEL GLENFINNAN
THE OLD MAN OF STORR
ORREN LOCHAN GLENCOE
LOCH LURGAINN
LAKE DISTRICT
BUTTERMERE LAKE DISTRICT
GLEN ETIVE
LOCH LOMOND & THE TROSSACHS NATIONAL PARK
MOONEN BAY
CATCH ME IF I FALL
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
PARALLEL WORLD
TOUCH THE SKY
PEACEFUL WORLD
MOMENTS IN TIME
MORNING GLAZE
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