Leonid afremov spoke to me

Leonid Afremov spoke to me.  Well, not in person, but through this painting.  There's a new Facebook challenge going around.  It asks that we take a break from the political outrage (justified as it is!) and go to places of beauty and inspiration.  When I received the challenge from my friend, Marlene, I typed "modern art" into Google.  It brought back this image above which truly woke me up!  

I love color.  I never really realized how much until I began painting the interior of my house a couple years ago.  I went (for me) wild with color.  Golden living room, red dining room, tangerine guest room, etc.  I love color.  And now when I see paintings like this in such brilliant hues, something inside cries out, "Paint!"

This particular pallette knife oil painting on canvass spoke to me.  Autumn in Michigan was always one of my favorite times of year.  The brilliant maples, birch and other trees donning their gay apparel in one last seasonal hurrah always cheered me.  And a walk in the rain, the air fresh with newly washed landscapes warmed me even on the chilliest day.

I love the brilliant hues in this work.  I checked out his website and it seems Afremov is prolific.  Some might say it is not "great art", but I would then wonder who's to say?  It certainly spoke to me this morning on this grey, rainy Southern California morning.  I really want to visit that park bench on the path.  There I would think deep thoughts and ponder the meaning of life.  In vivid technicolor, as it should be.


afremov.com/Autumn-2016-Collection/