Art Kaleidoscope

Russian Beauty in a folk costume. Painting by Andrey Shishkin

Russian artist Andrey Shishkin was born in Moscow in 1960. Here he lives and works in his own studio to this day. Andrey Shishkin works in the genre of a realistic academic painting and creates psychological portraits, that amaze by their magnificence. Portrait painting is one of the most difficult genres, because the emphasis is shifting our perception of the important part – face, which is a reflection of person’s essence. Artist Andrei Shishkin has an opportunity to look through the prism of artistry, to discover something new, beauty, depth and character that amazes and fascinates. He makes us think about the transience of time, of the wonderful moments, and the depth of the human soul. Engaged in painting 15 years, Andrey Shishkin has no special art education, and didn’t take part in art exhibitions. But he took part in the decoration of churches. The artist works on order and sells his paintings online.
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Symbols of Lute Player by Caravaggio (29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610)

Symbols of Lute Player by Caravaggio
Caravaggio painted The Lute Player for Cardinal del Monte, an important patron during the earlier part of the painter’s career. The play of light and shade, with the use of a shaft of light to illumine the painting from the left, is characteristic of his mature work. (Hermitage, St. Petersburg)

First, commissioned by Cardinal Francesco del Monte painting “The Lute Player” (around 1595) was later bought another Del Monte – an art dealer and art lover Vincenzo Giustiniani. However, by the XIX century the family of Giustiniani became so poor that the collection kept for centuries went under the hammer in 1808. Even before the start of trading Russian emperor Alexander I personally asked the director of the Louvre Baron Dominique Vivant Denon to buy “Lute-Player” for the Hermitage of St. Petersburg. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, the most original and influential Italian painter of the 17th century. Noteworthy, his early works were usually small pictures of non-dramatic subjects, with half-length figures, a preponderance of still-life details (which Caravaggio painted superbly), and a frankly homo-erotic character.
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Troika. Russian Matryoshka art

First of all, Russian Matryoshka art is a tribute to the Russian culture. Indeed, handpainted doll with a Russian soul is the great cultural heritage of the country. However, Wooden Matryoshka dolls are famous not only because they can be put into each other like boxes for gifts. Each Matryoshka doll has a unique face and even character. According to one legend, these dolls appeared two thousand years ago, and are mentioned in the ancient Indian epic. And, then, to paint the dolls manually started during the time of the Trojan War. According to another legend, if you put a wish note into it, it will come true.
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Still life. Luigi Benedicenti delicious realism

Italian artist Luigi Benedicenti has created hyper realistic paintings of delicious food – from cakes and berries to fruits and ice-cream. Luigi was born in 1948 and since the late 60s completely devoted his life to the movement of “realism.” For his work, he chose the theme of food. Looking at the colorful still life works of the artist, hard to believe that they are actually drawn, not photographed. Luigi Benedicenti graduated from Turin art school. The viewers were delighted with his first shown works, and his first exhibitions were a great success.
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Costumed characters in the interiors of different eras, unique painting by Russian artist Olga Suvorova

Russian artist Olga Suvorova was born in 1966 in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad). Olga Suvorova has created her own style of painting – lifestyle portraits of costumed characters in the interiors of different epochs. Her work is a nostalgia for the St. Petersburg “World of Art” movement with its retrospective and love of the 18th century. Olga is the daughter of the Honored Artist of the RSFSR Igor Suvorov. She graduated from the Academy of Arts of Ilya Repin in 1988. Olga Suvorova is the constant participant of art exhibitions in Russia and abroad. Her works are in private collections in England, America, Germany, China and other countries.
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The longest in the world – Guinness Records wooden sculpture by Chinese master Zheng Chunhui

Guinness Records wooden sculpture
According to the Official certificate of the Guinness World Records, Chinese master Zheng Chunhui has built the longest wooden sculpture in the world. He made sculpture of solid wood 12.2 meters long, and 3.075 meters high. Noteworthy, Chunhui worked on his amazing sculpture for about 4 years. And those who have seen it with their own eyes, in one voice assured that it was worth it.
So, the sculpture is something more than a sculpture made of wood. This massive sculpture looks really amazing – 12 meters of wooden trunk with carved villages and forests, rivers, boats, animals, and human figures – no less than 550 of them.
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Alma’s Weed. Michael Sherrill ceramic art

Michael Sherrill ceramic art

Born on 27 October 1954, self-taught master Michael Sherrill – recognized worldwide as one of the most honored and original masters of ceramics. He has lived in North Carolina since 1974, the state, known for its pottery tradition, which encouraged the development and training of traditional crafts. In 1974, he moved from his home in Charlotte mountains north-west, where he draws inspiration. In his work the sculptor uses clay, bronze, porcelain, glass. Michael conducts seminars, has developed a line of tools for potters and sculptors under the brand name “Mudtools”. At the present time – the board president of The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design. The Center is in service to advancing the understanding of craft and the field of materials-based arts both in practice and in academic settings.
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