Ekaterina Stoyanova, Esther Simonis, and Dr. Michael Durst have been selected to receive Special Recognition Art Awards from “The Healing Power of ART: Resilience 2022” exhibition. Their art and their statements captivated my interest and inspired me to share more information about them. They deserve to receive your attention. As you will discover their self-awareness as artists and their steadfast commitment to share their artistic pursuits with us with clarity, depth and honesty are admirable traits.
Ekaterina Stoyanova, artist and gallery owner, pays homage to native populations of the Americas “probing the depths of the human spirit”. Esther Simonis, who is an introspective artist and also an archaeologist, “delves deeper and deeper to unveil hidden truths”. Dr. Michael Durst, artist and also a psychologist, aims to provide a healing modality for the viewer and creates art to “portray the world through my heart”.
You will find links to their websites so you may learn more about them and contact them directly to purchase or exhibit their art.
Ekaterina Stoyanova “probing the depths of the human spirit”
Ekaterina Stoyanova lives in Carefree, Arizona and owns a gallery with her husband Michael Stoyanov, who is also an artist. She earned a BA degree in Fine Art from the University of Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria, specializing in painting, and has been working as a professional artist for over 40 years.
She states, “In my paintings I am drawn to the indomitable spirit of the native populations of the Americas and of the resilience of the wildlife in the American Southwest.” She adds, “I especially enjoy telling the expressive and passionate nature of the Native American people which is also manifest in the bold prime colors of their costumes.”
Ekaterina’s paintings are in many collections including permanent collections of state museums. She has participated in numerous art events in the Midwest and the Southwest and has received top awards. Before becoming an artist, Ekaterina worked as curator at the art gallery and city museum of her home town of Haskovo.
She states, “For me creating art is a practice of incredible stamina and determination in the desire to represent my subject with honesty, affection, attention, and craft. I persevere to find the right tone and stroke in every detail, as I revise and reshape the painting until I have attained my vision. Art is my path for probing the depths of the human spirit and I hope that my paintings will convey this experience to the public.” stoyanovfineart.com
Esther Simonis “delving to unveil hidden truths”
Esther Simonis lives Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. In her practical as well as her theoretical research, artist Esther Simonis, investigates the archaeological excavation as a metaphor for a personal, introspective delving and searching process which also manifests in her art making. She is a well-established artist with a Master’s Degree (Visual Arts) from University of South Africa.
Esther majored in Printmaking, using a collagistic approach, which entails an accumulation and superimposing of layers of images and shapes, that represent the broken, incompleteness of archaeological ruins. As a traveler and missionary, her impressions often capture a bird’s eye view of Africa and other countries. She has exhibited widely in South Africa and her art is in private collections as well as in the permanent collections of universities and colleges. Esther was also curated into the Manhattan Arts International “HerStory 2022” juried exhibition.
She states, “In delving deeper and deeper to unveil hidden truths and true meaning, I found my original inspiration in archaeology – in layer upon layer of human connectedness. Like a journalist searching for the hidden story, my art is an expression of my discoveries – of new worlds of textures, colours and materials – pointing me towards new solutions and forged possibilities.” esthersimonisart.com
Dr. Michael Durst ~ “portray the world through my heart”
Dr. Michael Durst lives in Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. His art has received many awards and have been featured on the covers of books, magazines and CD’s. His primary focus is South African landscapes, seascapes and vineyards. He combines impressionism with digital fractal creations with layered techniques.
Michael creates artwork with an intention to provide a healing modality for the viewer in addition to it being a work of great beauty and illumination. He explains that he aims to “portray the world through my heart with love and healing.” He describes his purpose as an artist that reflects his empathy for others. “My work is specifically directed to quiet the mind by including the realism and perspective, so that the heart can be open to the emotional impact of the moment.”
About his process Michael has written, “My intention when creating a painting is to imbue it with more of the emotional mood than one would associate with the original scene. I am using colours that intensify the feeling of the image so I don’t have to hold fast with the dictates of the original subject. My work is similar to that of the artists during the early 1900’s who created painted images, better and more vibrant than the reality of what they saw with their eyes and brain.” HeartscapePaintings.com
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