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Sunlight Infusion

Client: Lahaina Art Galleries
Job: Description of painting by Andrea Razzauti for gallery catalog

Andrea Razzauti is an artist known for his ability to transform the ordinary into a study of alternative realities.  Here a simple wooden table, surrounded by a collection of ceramic pots, is washed in shades of Indian Red and Burnt Umber, then dappled with splotches of afternoon sun.  The result is a weighty, shadowed world where the taste of red is on the tongue, and the sultry heat of Razzauti’s native Tuscany pours from the canvas.

Trained at the Instituto Statale d’Arte di Pisa in Italy, Razzauti has been pushing the envelope of reality since 19__ when his work first captured the attention of international collectors.  Unlike many artists who specialize in a single stylistic approach, Razzauti is loyal to none and the master of many.  Pointillism, Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and heart-stopping Realism have all been employed to articulate his many and eclectic visions of the world.  Unlabelled and unfettered by the expectations of others, Razzauti continues to forge his own distinctive path, making him one of the most respected and sought after painters working today.

Rising to the Light

Client: Lahaina Art Galleries
Job: Description of sculpture by Holly Young for gallery catalog

Holly Young’s mastery of the human form and gift for capturing life’s most poignant moments have brought us everything from children enchanted by nature to a queen welcoming her people.  Now Young’s extraordinary talents have produced a figure caught between two realms – reaching up towards spirit on the one hand, and entangled in the folds of earthbound reality on the other.  The figure’s arching spine, upturned face, and outstretched arm eloquently depict her yearning.  But the snarl of clinging cloth that binds her legs and hand, and the flattened palm of her upraised hand suggest an invisible barrier.

Admirers of Young, who is best known for her sculptures of cheerful young children, will appreciate the breadth and scope of this work.  Rising to the Light is one of her most enigmatic and thematically complex pieces to date, hinting at a side of Young that is both captivated by life and wrestling with its questions.

Matryoshka - Stacking Dolls

Client:Nickolai Gurgeiff (nickolaigurgeiff.com)
Job: Description of handmade Russian stacking dolls for company catalog

The Matryoshka, or Russian nesting doll, is one of the most popular and endearing examples of Russian folk art. Fashioned entirely of natural products, each doll is hand painted and therefore completely unique.

The attention to detail and creative skill of the Matryoshka artists will amaze you. Dolls can range in size from large, 15" masterpieces, containing 20 or more successively smaller versions within, to tiny creations that require a magnifying glass to paint them.

The origins of the Matryoshka doll are unclear. It is believed that they first appeared some 100 years ago and were modeled after a wooden doll brought to Russia from the island of Honshu in Japan. Interestingly, the Japanese claim their dolls were inspired by the work of a Russian monk. This monk created a wooden figure depicting a good-natured, bald old man thought to represent a Buddhist sage. This first prototype still exists and can be seen in the Museum of Toys in Sergiev Posad, Russia.

In Russian, the word Matryoshka is associated with fertility and motherhood. It's not surprising then that many of the first Matryoshka dolls utilized the image of a portly, chubby cheeked mother on the outside doll with the likenesses of her numerous children painted on the smaller, inner dolls. Even today, when artists are painting a variety of subjects, the image of the robust and cheerful mother is still one of the most popular.

The reputation for exquisite craftsmanship that the Russian Matryoshka doll enjoys today is due in no small part to A.I. Mamontov. Mamontov was a true patron of Russian art. A print shop owner and publisher, he was so taken by the work of Matryoshka artists that he set up a studio where they could practice and perfect their art. Known as the "Children's Education Workshop", Mamontov's studio employed some of Russia's finest toy makers and painters, and is credited with developing what is known as the "Russian-style Matryoshka."

In today's world of mass-produced products, it's easy to see why Matryoshka dolls are so popular. To hold one in your hands, admire its exquisite workmanship and feel the anticipation and thrill of discovering smaller and smaller dolls hidden one inside the other, is like nothing else you've ever experienced. When you own a Russian Matryoshka, you own not only a piece of Russian history, but a bit of its childlike wonder and magic as well.