TANK-A GABRIEL
Inspiration has been with me since the time I can remember myself, and I have memories of myself from before the age of one. It is with me every second of my life.
One cannot make me do anything without Inspiration.
Inspiration – it is like air, like the very necessity to breathe, to live, to exist, and to create. The process of creation requires complete concentration – there is only my object and my presence in it.
I practically exist in a state of bliss, more accurately in a pillar of Grace, coming from above. Myriads of opportunities open up in front of me, and being in this state I create as I am inspired, starting with Russian Orthodox icons, miniature enamels, silver filigree, stained glass panels, wood carving, house building, easel, plain-air, and mural painting, unexplainable wearable sculpture (jewelry), or just composing wild herbal medicine.
I do not have any preconceived visions, I just look at the canvas, gazing on it for a long time, and then start seeing: it is all there already, I only trace it by painting, and bring it out to our physical universe – from the other world.
And the same happens with sculpture. I find some rusted piece of metal, take it in my hands and . . . I begin to have a vision, it dawns upon me what it really is . . . for instance, a part of an angel’s wing, or pieces of monumental cosmic bird.
In easel painting, I mostly use an ancient glazing technique of applying layers of oil paint. A transparent coating of a fresh oil paint is applied over the well dried previous layer making pigments translucent and creating rich, glowing colors. With proper lighting, light travels inside through the layers and reflects from the surface through a prism of different shades of colors.
That creates an illusion of luminescence, but it is not only a physical illusion, it is also an energy (auric) luminescence. The more soul is put into a work, the stronger and more finished it becomes, there occurs an inner contact with the work. My work acquires the energy flowing through me. That is why my paintings glow from inside.
Using this technique with careful attention to details painting may take months, or even years to create high quality works of art.
In sculpture and applied art I use various techniques, such as welding, soldering, modeling, carving, followed by silver casting (and encrustation with precious stones), or bronze casting.
I also use specially treated wood covered with metal patina, silver sheets, or gilded wood combined with metal, as well as various modern materials and techniques.
