First of all, I chose Leonid Afremov because I admire the quality of his work. Before I chose him as my subject, I did check out other artists like David Clerihew who specializes in photography, portraits, landscapes & film. There is Marcel Christ as well, whose forte is still life and also dabbles in personal work and film. Benedict Redgrove on the other hand, does a little of everything such as photography, landscapes, epic set-ups and still life. I had to really think hard on Sam Logan because her line of art is my weakness.
She is a stylist thereby her expertise is in clothing designs, set designs, and also experiments on still life. I almost picked her but Afremov’s work moved me more because it communicated to me. I admire artists so much since I don’t think I have one artistic bone in my body however hard I try. I am in awe of people who looks at a picture, picks up a pencil then just starts drawing with such ease and confidence. Afremov paints with such emotion and inspiration that everyone can relate to it.His use of nature, surroundings and the combination of colors is so unpredictable that it surprises his viewers.
“Melody of the Night” depicts that the cover of darkness when night falls doesn’t mean that the exciting day is over. It shows that it only has begun but now in a different setting at a different time. It makes one realize that dusk can be breathtakingly beautiful when an explosion of contrasting colors are used to create an unforgettable heartwarming scene. I believe that what makes Afremov’s work very effective is that it isn’t difficult to grasp.Any individual can relate to his work and appreciate its beauty due to its simplicity. It likewise sends a message that even darkness can bring about a lively scene with the correct use of colors and various painting techniques.
The technique I liked most that Afremov utilized a lot in this painting is stippling. He used it to texture botanical drawings that created the appearance of depth. He did it in such a way that it made the whole painting look elegant and life-like. Composition was another technique Afremov used that impressed me.It made the painting look “put together” and organized.
“Melody of the Night” contains line, shape, form, space, texture, value and color. He manipulated these elements and created something quite amazing. The effectiveness of Afremov’s work depends on the individual who’s viewing it since everyone has their own opinion and interpretation of any kind of art. I personally, am very impressed with this particular painting because I see that the techniques he used were quite effective. How does one measure the effectiveness of an artwork to an individual who doesn’t know much about art?I measure it on how it affects my senses - visually & emotionally.
It would be great if I can touch and feel its texture and composition to give me an idea of the depth of the painting, however that isn’t possible in this case. Using my sense of sight tells me that he put his own feelings into this painting because it exudes his personal touch and his attention to detail. He took advantage of the darkness to bring out an explosion of hues and colors that one wouldn’t expect. He brought light and life to a scene that could very well be ordinary or even boring.
