Inspiration

Oil on canvas, 18 × 24 in
2025

This plein air painting was started in Julian, at a breathtaking place called Inspiration Vista Point. I originally planned to include it in my large exhibition “Inspiration” at Union Hall Gallery — but the painting wasn’t ready.

I began the canvas outdoors with immense excitement, yet it was a cold, windy April day. The wind was so strong that I had to tie my easel to my car — honestly, it felt as if I might fly away together with the canvas and the car. When my hands went numb from the cold, I decided to finish the painting later in the studio.

After returning home from the residency, something shifted. I couldn’t re-enter the flow. I felt empty and disconnected — a temporary creative freeze. Burnout is a frequent, invisible companion of productive artists, almost like a hidden cost of beauty.
The day before the exhibition, I painted a small work from this large study and showed it as part of my Julian series. This canvas stayed silent for months.

I returned to it only in summer — and that’s when it finally opened.
Today, Inspiration is one of my favorite works. It captures the unique diversity of California — a place where the cool, green climate of Julian meets the heat of the desert. For anyone who loves road trips, I always recommend stopping here. This epic landscape makes your heart beat faster and brings back the taste of life.

This canvas carries a raw, powerful energy — without gloss, without pretense. It’s a painting for people who are not afraid to feel.

In an interior, it doesn’t just create a strong emotional presence — it becomes a statement piece. This work brings together California Impressionism of the 20th century and Ukrainian emotional Impressionism of the Kharkiv school.
It’s a painting for those who seek inspiration, who love travel, and who are drawn to bold, expressive landscapes — full of movement, risk, and life.