Artist's Statement

I believe that art is as necessary as the air we breathe; it is what makes us human. As an artist, my role is to help people fulfill this need.

My medium is oil on canvas. I like the roughness, the vibrancy of oil. Through oil, I can best express myself.

I love the process of painting. When I'm painting, I don't think about the finished product or the viewer; I just focus on being true to the process. Before I ever touch the canvas, or begin to sketch, I let the images swirl around in my mind. Then, I begin a series of sketches to translate my thoughts into more concrete images. As the images take shape on the canvas, they begin to change. Sometimes, I myself am surprised at the outcome.

What kind of painting do I do? I don't like labels; I prefer to be free to interpret my ideas as they come to me. Some of the themes that have figured in my paintings are my personal past, Jewish history, Biblical themes and nature. A number of my paintings are set in Derbent, a city in the south of Russia where I spent the first 33 years of my life.

I don't have a set hope for what viewers will see in my painting. My wish is that my paintings resonate for them, and become a part of their spirit. If a painting can lift a viewer out of the world of the mundane and inspire them to touch their own higher self, then as a painter, I have succeeded.