Adoration II

Finally -- new artwork! The heavy workload of the last couple of months has lightened up a bit due to the holidays, so I was able to finish up a drawing I had started back in October.

It's another "Dianization" (a remake of old artwork, featuring Diana, my wife, as the model) done for the Body Language II series. On the right you can see the original artwork -- Adoration, made in 1996. The drawing represents a mix of erotic symbolism and surrealism, with quite a simple concept: an illustration of worshiping someone blindly and dependently.

I decided to leave the most elements, beside the female figure, intact, introducing only minor changes to them. For instance, the sky is brighter in the new version, with less small details and more saturated blues contrasting with the oranges and yellows more pronouncedly. In the old version you could see a prominent face in the clouds. Now there's another one, right next to it.

In the early WIPs the column had exactly the same perspective as in the original drawing, but when I started laying out the tiled floor, I realized that this perspective was wrong all along, so I fixed it.
Due to the large gap in time (14 years, actually) between these two versions, they serve as a perfect illustration of my skill progress, especially in human anatomy and skin shading.

Red Bound II

This is the last drawing from Paranoia II series. I have just finished it, but it's been dated 2009, because it was started last December, and (as you might know from my previous blog posts) I usually date my artwork when started, not when finished.

As for the artwork itself, it's another "Dianized" remake of my older work -- namely, Red Bound from the first Paranoia series. For those who don't follow my blog closely, "Dianization" means remaking my earlier works with Diana (my wife) as the model. On the right you can see the original version, done exactly 15 years ago.

The remake keeps the original composition mostly intact, with only minor rearrangements. The main difference is the color range, which has become significantly warmer. Also, some elements, such as the "crater" below the soap bubble, have substantially "evolved." Finally, the sky and the clouds participate in the "big picture" more actively now, as you can see for yourself.

As for the symbolism behind the artwork, it's quite simple, actually. In my perception, the original version represented one's hesitation before stepping over a boundary -- a "red line," so to speak. I guess that could be applied to the new version as well, only this time it has become even more obvious what sort of boundaries we're talking about here exactly...

Inquisition II

This is another remake of my earlier artwork, only this time the gap in time is significantly smaller than it was with previous "coffee remakes" -- the original Inqusition, seen on the right, was made in 2004 and is from the same Black Coffee II series, as its new version.

The concept behind the artwork is quite simple: a woman, presumably accused of witchcraft, is about to be burned. There's nothing much to say here, except that the representation is utterly stylized and theatrical -- the lash-marks are the only "real" details here.

The original version followed the image seen in the coffee grounds as exactly as possible, hence the anatomical irregularities. In contrast, the remake features a live model, which brings more sense of realism, although the setting still stays the same (the only difference is the stump which replaced the table-like pedestal). The torn white dress, exposing the woman's semi-naked back, was changed to something more resembling a peeled-off human skin.

Like all my recent works, Inquisition II also features Diana as the model, but this time I had to change the natural color of her hair to red, as required by the new twist in the concept, according to which the hair seamlessly transforms into the flame. But you can still fully enjoy the view of her gorgeous amber hair in the model study made just before the remake.

Nude Beach Dreaming II

As you could have guessed, Nude Beach Dreaming II is another remake of my older artwork. Like Maria Magdalena II, it's also from Black Coffee II series, and it also features Diana as the model (doing the double job actually, because she poses for two figures in this one). On the right you can see the original version, made in 2000. It's the last drawing from the first Black Coffee series (1995-2000). Conceptually, it represents the inner conflict between the desire of sexual freedom and the constraint developed during the years of moralistic upbringing.

In the remake I tried my best to leave the composition and the basic elements intact, because all my "coffee drawings" are based on the actual images seen in coffee grounds and I consider it important to retain the original feel and atmosphere in their remakes. But drawing from life brings its inevitable corrections, so I had to follow the rules of anatomy and make certain modifications.

Combining the realistic and semi-realistic visual elements has always been one of the trademarks of Black Coffee series. With Diana's appearance as the model the contrast between these elements became even more pronounced. From purely artistic point of view it might be considered as a threat to the visual and stylistic integrity, but I'm willing to take that risk just to see how Diana's body fits into the various, often harsh and difficult surreal environments -- and from what I've seen so far, it does just perfectly...

Maria Magdalena II

This is another "Dianization" of my older artwork, this time from Black Coffee series. You can see the original version on the right. It's been done in 2000, but the concept draft has existed since 1996. It was my take on Mary Magdalene, one of the most important women in Christianity. According to Eastern Orthodox belief, she had been a virtuous woman all the way from the beginning, so chaste that the devil thought she might be chosen to bear Christ into the world, so he sent seven demons to sway her from the righteous path.

Interestingly, I wasn't aware of such interpretation back when I did the drawing (inexcusable for an Orthodox Christian, I know), and the connection with it came out completely unintended. But that's the way these "coffee drawings" work -- everything about them is spontaneous and happens on subconscious level, because they are all drawn from the actual coffee grounds, which are supposed to be completely random.

You might ask, what the dog has to do with it. Maybe that's the question for the person who actually drank that cup of coffee, but since I can't really remember who it was, I guess I'll have to answer that myself. Well, in my art (and in life, generally) a dog is a symbol of loyalty and faithfulness, and the chain here should not be considered as means of restraining Magdalena's freedom, but rather a way to keep her feet "on the ground" -- something everybody needs when standing on the edge of a crumbling rock.

So here it is -- the brand new version of Maria Magdalena, featuring Diana as the model. I must say, it takes some courage to pose for such a tough theme, with its controversial and somewhat disturbing imagery. But for me there are no forbidden themes in art, and I'm happy that Diana shares my stance on it. Maria Magdalena II is the first artwork to feature her full frontal nudity, and she managed with grace, beauty and the complete understanding of the subject, for which I'm very grateful.

Stairway from Heaven II

This particular theme in my artwork has a long history. I had painted the very first version of my "winged prostitute" in 1994 (exactly 15 years ago), when I was graduating from Nikoladze Art School. Actually, it was my diploma work, although it barely passed the test: for the examination board members it looked more like a mockery. I really can't blame them: an "angel" with the body of a streetwalker and the face of a transvestite isn't exactly what you expect to see in the diploma work of a model pupil.

When I was asked, what it represented, I said it was about the duality of the human nature. That's why I referred to the work as Dualism, although it never had any "official" title. The painting, done with oils on cardboard, beside being the largest piece of art I've ever done (105 x 85 cm), also remains to be my last oil painting, and it currently covers a hole in my apartment, face to the wall.

Later the same year I did a black-and-white version for my "Graphic Fantasies" copybook, which has a long history of its own. The copybook version had been titled Two Natures, and looked somewhat caricatural. The next year I did another remake -- this time with color pencils and ballpoint pens, which happens to be not only my first serious attempt in that technique, but also the very first work that laid the foundation of my whole artistic career as a surrealist.

Stairway from Heaven (Morning Version)

Stairway from Heaven (Evening Version)

Stairway from Heaven (Night Version)

As you can see, the remake came in three different versions: morning, evening and night. I decided to change the title from Two Natures to Fallen Angel. Years later I came up with a more original title: Stairway from Heaven.

When I first met Diana in person and we started our artist/model relationship (in step with the romantic one, that is), it was only natural for me to think about remaking the old works with her as the model. In the next two years we did a lot of photo-shooting for various projects, including the "Dianized" versions of some previous titles, but the only actual remake (or rather a sequel) we did so far was Still Waiting..., continuing the story of Waiting for Another Crank-Up.

Thus, Stairway from Heaven II was to be the second remake with Diana, and the first one, actually featuring her face (we saw only her back in the previous remake). I started to work a couple of days ago, and it took only two full days to finish the drawing.

My "winged prostitutes" are simply doomed for experiments. The original oil painting was sort of a Frankenstein monster, painted from different models (one lent me her arms and torso, but was too shy about her legs, the other was just vice-versa). Besides, it was the one and only painting where I used the elements of pointillism (in the mosaic texture of the stairway). The 1995 versions represented a real training ground for my emerging trademark technique. As for the remake with Diana, it was the first time I tested my new LYRA Osiris aquarelle pencils. They proved to be an excellent medium, perfectly suited for my style, and they were especially handy when rendering the stairway texture: they can be applied wet, which makes the dotting process a lot easier, among other things.

But that was the only experimental thing about it. As you can see from the different stages of work, all the rest proceeded as usual, from the basic layout to the intermediate processing with color pencils, subsequently refined with the ballpoint pens, as seen in the finished artwork below.

When put beside Stairway from Heaven (Morning Version), this remake perfectly illustrates the improvement of my drawing technique. But the new version looks much better not only because of that, but also because it features Diana, who can make any artwork of mine look way better than it is without her...

The Epic Wait for Another Crank-Up

It all began back in 1995, when I made Crank-Up: Start to a New Life for the Body Language series. The simple idea of a demon "winding up" a young woman into a brand-new sensual life lingered on, resulting in a spin-off called Waiting for Another Crank-Up, made in 2004. The spin-off featured the original Crank-Up framed and hung on the wall, as a reminiscence. Among other things, you could see the two intertwined spirals -- the trademark symbol of the new Body Language II series.

Still Waiting... is a sequel to Waiting for Another Crank-Up. I never really intended to make it -- the next thing in this line should have been Crank-Up II itself. But the last summer, during the photo-session for my upcoming "sanguine" series called The Mornings After, I "accidentally" took a picture of Diana gazing through the window, dressed in her red bedgown. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful, and she instantly reminded me of the girl from Waiting for Another Crank-Up. So I thought it could be interesting to make another spin-off -- this time, featuring Diana as the model.

The new version has the same general concept and composition, as its predecessor, but there are some differences in details. For instance, the "teeth" now have a polymorphous "tongue" in the form of a large house plant leaf, and the strongly suggestive cactus has been replaced by the less allusive flower vase. There is yet another suggestive element in the picture -- a "fruit composition" arranged on the table. The "sculpture" on the table has also changed -- the "male" spiral has disappeared, leaving the "female" one in complete solitude. Also, there is no more picture on the wall -- but, to keep the good tradition, a framed reminder of the plaited spirals has been left on the table.

14 years have passed already in this epic wait for another crank-up. Hopefully, the lonely girl from the picture gets what she wants very soon...