Summer routes

The power of colors on paper

A little more than a year has passed since the Art Club was organized at JINR. We have already reported on its work, exhibitions, meetings with artists and other events. And today, Head of the Club Anastasia ZLOBINA will tell about the first art camp held on Lipnya Island.

Let's start with Club news that our paper hasn't covered yet.

- Quite a lot was done in the spring and summer months. We equipped our workshop in the JINR Club of Scientists. We were allocated funds and we purchased lamps for easels, replenished the supply of consumables, bought plaster figures for drawing. During this time, a large flow of people passed, including many foreign employees of the Institute. Unfortunately, many have left. They were sad and spoke very warmly about the Club, saying that they had found an outlet, an opportunity to realize creative ideas, a pleasant social circle. We have a lot of fun while drawing, talk about ourselves, communicate, including in English. This is a very important point - to create a comfortable environment for participants to receive positive emotions, to share experiences and impressions. Our workshop at the Stadium "Nauka" is currently renovated. I go there from time to time, everything goes well, they will hand it over soon. We will thus have two rooms. The youngest of us fell in love with this particular workshop. There, before the renovation, it seemed that there was more freedom for creativity, they were not afraid to stain the walls with paint, you could come, whenever you want, to paint until late. Older participants like the comfortable environment in the JINR Club of Scientists more.

Today, classes are on schedule, with teachers, aren't they?

- Yes, we invited Ekaterina Kandrashova to lead our academic drawing. She is in the 4th year of Stroganov and all year she taught classes for those that needed it. Classes were held online during the week. And on Sundays, we met in the workshop to work out the theory in person, to ask questions, to show the drawings. In addition, in summer we went to the open air.

And yet, the main event was the trip to Lipnya. Why exactly to Lipnya?

- We decided to hold the art camp on Lipnya, primarily because no one would turn us away, for the other islands have their own owners and we didn't want to take risks. We decided that it would be the most comfortable place for us to start with. I wanted us to live in tents, closer to nature. These conditions cannot be called extreme or wild, because Lipnya is the JINR recreation centre, there is hot water and other conditions there. Yet, at the same time, some participants went to the place in kayaks, those that dared, because the sea was rough. We went on adventures, the members of the Club were left with a lot of impressions. And I wanted the participants to get such a tourist experience concerning natural phenomena and new sensations. The camp was hold on 11-13 August. At the same time, a regatta was held on the island. It is so beautiful! Of course, we drew sailboats. In addition, girls that go to our Club, took part in the regatta; they joined us and also drew. In my opinion, these two events overlapped very successfully, diversified the landscape and created a mood.

How many people did take part in this camp?

- In general, 18 people visited the camp - someone left earlier, others arrived later. If we talk about the number of Club members, the figure is also floating - some go all the time, someone leaves, returns and so on. Approximately 25 JINR employees visit the Art Club.

To you, how many new drawings were made on Lipnya?

- I think, everyone made 3-5 drawings, several sketches each. At the same time, I recommended making quick sketches in order to convey the essence with color and stroke.

What impressions did you have after this event?

- I realized that people enjoyed it, they knew what they wanted, why they had come. We had several containers with pastels, gouache, acrylics, watercolors and colored pencils. I didn't have to "lead" - to explain where to stay, what to do. In just a few minutes, they sorted out the materials, settled down somewhere - at the table, on the shore, someone went further away, left alone with nature and his thoughts. And everyone constantly worked - there was not a single person that whined or did not know what to do. Even if something didn't work out in the drawing, the participants said, "I need to think, observe." And I always say: contemplation is also work! Our goal was not to bring as many drawings as possible. Every little sketch, every observation, every attempt is a plus. I wanted everyone to be as comfortable as possible, everyone to do creative work at his or her own pace, not pester others and not feel pressure from organizers or teachers.

Finally, let's invite those that wish to join the Club.

- Yes, sure! Ask questions at knopiwe@mail.ru, join our community in vk: https://vk.com/club217160229. We wait for everyone that wishes to realize his or her creative abilities in the visual arts!

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Here is what the participants of the Club answered the question about their impressions of the fusion of nature and creativity.

Anna ZIMINA: "New views, emotions, sailboats, acquaintances - all this gave me a great flow of creative energy. You begin to feel and understand more subtly, as if you are entering fullness. Such a special feeling cannot be achieved by drawing, for example, from photographs. But when you realize yourself as a part of something bigger, a part of all this nature, take part and observe, you begin to understand and feel more. And in the drawings there is already much more liveliness, energy. Well, in the end, these are great memories!"

Ekaterina BOYTSOVA: "The nature of the island captivates with its warmth, harmony and peace. And in such moments of inner enlightenment, you want to create. But the most vivid impression was left by the sea and the company. It was them to give impetus to feelings to convey that very "power of colors" on paper."

Nina PRASOLOVA: "For me, as an amateur, not a professional, it was like a feeling of increasing the dimensionality of space, because nature also interacts with the artist with smells, wind and even rain, changes the lighting and along with it - the colors. It can be seen simply by observing one view at different times, passing these changes through oneself, observing what moods and sensations occur in different situations. In my single plein-airs, it could not be felt, since they were still limited in time. I also really liked that we could discuss our drawings and share our thoughts and techniques, chosen angles. From joint creativity and also in nature, I received just a huge return and only the most positive impressions!"

Galina MYALKOVSKAYA,
photo by Irina VASILIEVA