An Overview of the Impasto Technique

by Ana Tzarev

A talented artist, Ana Tzarev displays her talent in oil paintings, watercolors, and bronze casted sculpture at New York City’s Ana Tzarev Gallery. Ana Tzarev finds painting to be a tactile and visual, experience. With the goal of communicating her diverse experiences to others, she focuses on incorporating the use of the impasto style.

Utilizing the impasto technique, she applies oil paint with thick brushstrokes to the canvas. I sometimes apply it with a knife or brush, or even directly onto the work. The technique creates a wonderful textural effect, which cannot be achieved by more traditional means. People who view Tzarev’s paintings often tell her that they feel as if they are directly transported into her work. It is as though they are right there in the painting and able to physically touch the world that I have visualized.

Some of the most famous painters in the world have used the impasto technique. It is a favorite tool of the French Impressionists from whom she derives so much inspiration. At her studio in the South of France, she is often moved by viewing the same beautiful landscapes that Monet saw. The juxtaposition of texture and color is something that she finds emotionally compelling.

Impasto can be bold or subtle. Its flexibility is one of its strengths. As Tzarev further develops her artistic vision, she plans to continue to explore the limits of this expressive technique.

A Natural Beauty: Floral Imagery in Art

Presented by Ana Tzarev

Flowers

Flowers have appeared in paintings and other works of art and literature throughout history, with different meanings in various eras. Some of the most famous paintings feature flowers, from Van Gogh’s sunflowers series to Monet’s water lilies. They appear in Western and Eastern artistic traditions and have held great importance in literature and religious symbolism.

Some common flowers hold a strong place in the symbology of modern culture. Children and adults of all ages know the famous rhyme beginning with “roses are red, violets are blue,” and the notoriety reflects roses’ position as popular symbols of love, passion, and beauty. Especially in the United Kingdom, individuals associate poppies with consolation and grief, and people wear the red flowers to commemorate soldiers who passed away. With a long connection to resurrection and life, particularly in religious contexts, irises and lilies often appear in burials and as funeral flowers.

Many cultures around the world associate flowers with femininity and sometimes as sexual symbols of the female form. Artists such as Veronica Ruiz de Velasco, Judy Chicago, Imogen Cunningham, and Georgia O’Keeffe have become well-known for their symbolic use of flowers in art.

In Japanese culture, many artists paint or draw the cherry blossom, a flower appearing often in the country’s history. Each year, for up to three weeks, cherry trees bloom, creating a beautiful shower of petals as the flowers fall from the trees toward the end of the season. For Japanese artists, the brief duration of this stunning spectacle highlights the temporary nature of life and a pure, simple heart.

The Last Hawaiian Queen Envisioned the Tapestry of Her Culture and People

One of the paintings in Ana Tzarev’s Spirit of Hawaii exhibition depicts a regal Queen Lili’uokalani sewing her dreams and the dreams of her people into a beautiful quilt. In the painting, she seems to have drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Is it peace? Is it resignation? Or is it sadness?

The last ruling monarch of the Hawaiian Islands, Queen Lili’uokalani left the throne in 1893. She believed until her death that she had been entrusted with the mission of preserving the islands for the native residents.

Queen Lili’uokalani was born on September 2, 1838, the daughter of a powerful chief and chiefess. In 1862, she married John Owen Dominis, an American who would go on to serve as the Governor of O’ahu and Maui. According to Lili’uokalani’s diaries, the marriage proved to be unsatisfactory and the couple had no children, though Lili’uokalani later adopted three children according to local custom.

In 1877, her brother, David Kalakaua, succeeded to Hawaii’s throne, and named Lili’uokalani his heir, the Crown Princess. Upon his death in 1891, she inherited the throne, but was not to have it for long. Political unrest, spurred on by the American sugar plantation owners, prompted Lili’uokalani’s deposal in January 1893. The deposal launched an investigation by the U.S. government that ultimately declared the overthrow illegal, and Lili’uokalani’s crown was offered back to her under the condition that she grant clemency to those who had removed her from the throne. Although she ultimately agreed, she delayed her decision too long. By that time, annexationists had worked with Congress to gain approval for the formation of the Republic of Hawaii, a sovereign nation that was immediately recognized by the United States.

Arrested in 1895 after a counter-revolution aimed at restoring her to the throne, Lili’uokalani was charged with treason after republican officials discovered a cache of firearms near Diamond Head Crater. Although she denied knowledge of this arsenal, the military tribune sentenced her to five years’ hard labor and a fine of $5,000. Officials later commuted the sentence and instead confined the Queen to an upstairs bedroom of the ‘Iolani Palace. There she wrote her memoirs, composed songs, and stitched an exquisite quilt from fabrics thought to be taken from her own wardrobe. The quilt today stands as a treasured Hawaiian relic that speaks not only of the long months of Queen Lili’uokalani’s imprisonment but tells the story of the history of her nation.

Lili’uokalani died in 1917 from complications from a stroke. However, her legacy continues to this day, in the form of the quilt, her music, and the Queen Lili’uokalani Trust, which continues to provide for impoverished children in Hawaii.

About Ana Tzarev!

With a commitment to bringing unique, authentic voices from all cultures to a wide audience, the Ana Tzarev Gallery in Midtown Manhattan features exhibitions from artists across the globe, including such notable figures as photographer Chad Hunt, mixed media artist Sanam Enayati, and painter Milijada Barada. Through these artists, the Ana Tzarev Gallery introduces voices from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere to the American public, delivering a cross-cultural message of understanding and peace. Ana Tzarev’s own work is currently displayed for Dispossessed people. In this exhibition, Ana Tzarev shows the hardships faced by people in various cultures throughout the world. Expressing her subjects’ emotions through bright, vivid color and thick, deliberate brushstrokes, Ana Tzarev presents a challenging look at the daily experiences of individuals and families in Central America, South America, and Eastern Europe. Other paintings by Ana Tzarev celebrate the beauty of nature, evoking the everyday beauty of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Much of Ana Tzarev’s work can be seen in her hardcover monographs, including Art of Japan, Grace of Africa, Journey of Discovery, and Spirit of Hawaii, produced by Accademia Publishing Ltd. In her work as a sculptor, Ana Tzarev imbues her pieces with the culture and spirit of East Asian tradition, crafting intricate bronze figures of deities, palace guards, courtesans, entertainers, and more. To see more work by Ana Tzarev and other artists featured at the Ana Tzarev Gallery, visit the official website at www.anatzarev.com.