olha pryymak

There is one city in Ukraine where I love going back above all- the city of Lviv.  Spent a lovely week there just now, charged with new impressions and desire to paint more of it (e.g. continue my baloons series). Here are the skies above the Rynok square rooftops.

Yesterday I was at to the Varnishing Day at the Royal Academy Summer Show – to photograph my  year’s participating painting, as I forgot to do that before submitting so I could share it here. Too bad the photo did not come out well, so I am giving here a pic of the smaller study for it. If you are at the Show, come check it out – number 892 around the corner from the fabulous Architecture room.

Big thank you  to Mick Pedroli,  for making my painting RA – worthy, as well as David Milne,  at the Dennis Severs’ House – for opening me the doors of the House. This lead to a series of several dozen other paintings I’ve done in the past year.

In today’s picture, we are trying to get into one of the hidden hallways that are decked out in beautiful antique stained-glass windows, just a code lock in our way.

I am already planning another trip to Lviv in my mind, this keeps fueling my interest in painting more of the beautiful city. The fountain sculpture of Diana (1793) and her dogs on the Market square in Lviv was restored with the help of public donations a few years back after one of the dogs lost his paw. These table and chairs in the painting belong to the cafe By the Diana surrounding the beautiful fountain. I miss spending Thursday nights there drinking chilled kvas from heavy glass beer mugs and watching street dancers making their moves.

A guy who was walking around Lviv with the largest bunch of the balloons on 18 April.

First of many pictures I will be posting in the next couple of weeks on the subject of colorful balloons in the lovely city of Lviv.

Trying to make the best of the situation, I took a day trip to Lviv to go on my usual gallery run. Thanks to a help from  dear friend, I was pleasantly surprised to find two new galleries offering superb content.  Marta Hrytsyk’s Vitamins show at LvivArt was my absolute favoarite. Meanwhile I run out of my hardboard to paint on and experimenting with new materials: copper plated board.

6×6 in, oil on copper plated panel, 2010, for sale on Etsy

2008 oil on board 15×15 cm

Please email me your bid (starting at $75) if you’d like to own this piece.

There is this amazing coffee shop on top of the Magnus shopping center in Lviv, where we usually have their yummy dumplings and enjoy one of the best views over the Lviv city center. This painting is part of my post-Soviet series.

Benjamin Sullivan has an amazing output of artwork primarily in casual portraits.

Ink pen on A5 sized 130 lb paper

Please email me your bid (starting at $45) if you’d like to own this piece.

On our latest visit to Lviv  I met this amazing artist Oleksandr Fedorchuk ( we actually went to art school together, him being two years senior). Now a renowned icon painter, does amazing Byzantium style works in traditional technique.

Besides we visited our old digs at Dzyga to drink coffee Lviv style and catch the latest exhibit. Check out a new show at Zelena Kanapa. Finally checked out Kryivka to drink some good beer by Persha Lvivska Brovarnya, medivka and experience the nationalist Ukrainian army atmosphere – machine guns, Georgia supporting manifestos and field trip type of food. A climb to the top of city hall for breathtaking vies and visit to many bookshops and antique books market by Ivana Fedorova monument were all a must.