Victor Nizovtsev

Summer Park in St. Petersburg

This park is in downtown St. Petersburg, Russia.  French and Italian architects built the city, as well as the park in the painting.  Tsar Peter the Great invited these craftsmen to create a capital with the best features of western civilization.  The park, which holds great historical significance for Russian culture, is a place of sanctuary from the breathtaking speed of modern life  -- where statues from Roman and Greek mythology and historical Russian characters are frozen in time. 

Despite its many glories, this park in two short weeks, turns from precious summer to long gray snowy winters.  The celebration of bright yellow, green and red colors makes this transition more dramatic.  The wetness of the leaves, a three-dimensional illusion of the painting, invites you to spend some time in a world of nature set apart from the city in which it is located.

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Mermaids provoke a very deep response from the viewer. 

I believe this is because humans have always wanted to possess some magic power from the surrounding animal world – like large feathery wings that would allow them to fly or a scaly tail to propel them through the water like a fish. 

My mermaid seems surprisingly human because she is peaceful after a long day.  Her face is serene, her dreams tranquil, her body’s position radiates calm and contentment.  The painting captures these feelings.  These feelings are contagious, drawing the viewer in to share in the joy of this imaginary world.  It is comforting to find a small corner of life – a painting – a book – time alone - which gives us quiet and peace of mind.

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