Vitality of Line explores the works of internationally recognized artist Nicolay Paskevich. Acknowledged abroad for figurative pieces produced in the first half of the 20th century, later works created after arriving in the United States are energetic expressions of the subjects that fascinated and inspired him in the country that became his home. The paintings of this late Anaheim Hills artist shift from minimalist to expressionistic, at times impressionistic and often energetic, but always based on a strong foundation of superb draftsmanship with vivid graphic lines, suggesting the vitality of life captured on the two dimensional plane.

From the private collection of Michael J. Stanley, with selections from the collection of Paskevich’s daughter, Alyja Kalinich.

“I do not base my own creativity on visual reality alone.  I do not strive for exactness since it limits the audience’s horizon and narrows its imagination.  I search for action, psychological diversity, and the subject’s inner state.  Movement, the quickness of a person or animal, is the primary feeling in my work.

In creating a painting, I strive to evoke the feeling that is somehow located within it.  I use black, white, and colors with one goal:  to carry the audience along my current.  I try not only to show life in its naturalistic, observable truth, but to the contrary, I distort the visible truth for the sake of achieving dynamism, speed, and internal tension.”

– Nicolay Paskevich, 2000