Artist’s statement

“Making art is a way of perceiving life, deepening and enriching my experiences while transforming them. As I work and develop as an artist my painting, drawing and photography continually influence each other and, with every revelation, a new language emerges within, regenerating a joy of expression that I find I am unable hold at bay. For me, the excitement is in the mystery of the process.”

 

Biography

Artist Marina Romanov brings uncommon perspective and intimacy to her interpretive drawings, paintings and photography. Her fresh techniques and empathetic compositions reveal a recurring wonder of discovery, an unambiguous respect for nature in all its forms and the nourishment she herself garners from her subjects.

Born to the majestic legacy of her parents who immigrated to San Francisco in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, Ms. Romanov was raised in loving but formal family tradition. Influenced by two artistic grandmothers, drawing and painting were natural pursuits in which the young artist demonstrated early interest, aptitude and creativity.

Speaking ancestral Russian until age six, Ms. Romanov recalls the trauma of entering English-speaking school and credits nurturing teachers with helping her discover the interpretive outlet that her unusual background and multiple languages engender.

After completing studies as an art major at Sarah Lawrence College, Ms. Romanov attended Bank Street College of Education, Bronxville, NY , and was drawn to Early Childhood teaching. Amid the vibrant culture that galvanized New York City in the 1960s, she also continued to paint and later married an art dealer with whom she had four wonderful children and shared an inspiring life in the art world.

Ms. Romanov now lives in Basalt, CO, where she draws, paints, makes photographs and enjoys her grandchildren.

 

Observations and comments on the works of Marina Romanov

Marina's paintings are full of the kind of color where I yearn to  live. Her lime-yellow flowers flowing over the rim of a chunky vase, the sloping field of autumn cranberries in Maine or a jar of crimson zinnias radiate not only sunny light, but a familiarity of  place that often appears in the best of my dreams. Her work is quiet, confident and uniquely imagined. It is  refreshing when an  artist can reveal the essence of an image. Marina's work invites one into that moment.

Dede Reed