-We are used to seeing artists at the most solemn presentations, but rarely - at work. When viewing a picture in a tidy frame we do not think, in what conditions this small or great masterpiece was being made. But just seeing the artist at work, you can really understand what his paintings breathe with, what creative efforts they cost to the author. The artist's studio can say a lot about his personality. If you look at the studio of a talented artist of Poltava Anatoly Lavrenko, the first what you can see is the chaos of brushes, tubes, jars, pails with paints. And a lot of paintings, finished and not finished, a table with a traditional for all art workshops kettle, coffee jars, cups and glasses. Foremost is the portrait of Anatoliy's mother, which he painted when he was just 21 years old. A frame on the wall - a photo of his Mom: son photographed her before she went into eternity. On the tape - the medal of Afanasy Slastyona, the artist was awarded with it not long ago - when he was celebrating his 50th anniversary. In the workshop there is a chessboard with figures - sometimes when friends drop by they can play a game or two - a little break from painting. 

Anatoly Lavrenko is a member of the Union of Artists (when the Soviet Union collapsed, automatically became a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine). The fact that he joined this organization then says a lot about the level of his skills, because then the admission criteria were very hard. 
In his creative work Anatoly Lavrenko never went along the beaten paths. Such world-known artists as Van Gogh, Kazimir Malevich, Pavel Filonov, Chun Tvari, Olive Subbi inspired him in search of his own self. Lavrenko found his artistic credo, when he drew women with the sheaves in the field - he grew up in the village and saw farmers at work. This picture was bought at the exhibition in Kiev, and Anatoly made its replica. The success led to the creation of a series of paintings about the hard work of peasant women. On Lavrenko's canvases there appeared women who broke corn, reaped rye, bound sheaves. 

Workshop of the artist.

- "I feel nostalgia for all those things. Work with bread is holy" - says the artist. 
It is because of his thirst to the portrayal of labor of farmers the colleagues nicknamed Anatoly Lavrenko "the artist from the land". They say that in the Ukrainian art he takes the same niche as Kosovo and Averbooh in the British art. The creative work of these artists is characterized by pastose techniques. Thick layers of paint are associated with the technique of relief, but the relief of a saturated color. To some extent pastose painting style is related to sculpture. Texture has vibration, including a color that is particularly affects the viewer. One of the pioneers of pastose painting is considered to be Van Gogh. 

The works of Lavrenko are characterized by associative, childish perception of the world, laconism and naivity. At the same time, the artist uses a palette of rich colours, he is a master of a color range of modern plastics. Among the most favorite paints at the moment are peterburzhskaya viridonova gray and green. 
While studying at Kharkiv Art College Anatoly Lavrenko was a student of the famous Kharkov artist Vladimir Lenchin, who taught the movement of forms in space, opposed to the dominant method of socialist realism at that time. Lavrenko learned not just to reflect the reality photographically accurately, but to reproduce it analytically, sensually and expressively, in only his distinctive images. 
-"One thing is to have a great world in your mind, the other - how you can express it "- he says. 

Anatoly Lavrenko is not afraid to experiment with colors, images, line, shape. Of course, there can be not only godsends, but the defeats as well, but it is the normal creative process.

Author Pictures