Evgeny & Lydia Baranov

Parisian Peonies"

For artists, daylight provides opportunity. Either to capture subjects in transcendent light or to capture the inverse: lengthy shadows. Depending on the artist’s style and subject, the time of day and the brightness of light often affect the finished product, especially for artists working en plein air, or out in the open air. 

Evgeny and Lydia Baranov are two such artists who utilize this style of painting and the results are paintings and images so realistic that gusts of wind and the aroma of flowers practically emanate from their canvases.

For their latest collection of new works, the color palettes are deeply earthen and a mixture of European beauty and translucent water scenes. All of the deepest and brightest colors are represented in scenes of sailboats, cityscapes and table settings, from the deep pink and purples of sunsets to the intricate, colorful wear and tear of gondolas in Rialto, the Baranovs’ work is flush with sunlight and fullness.

When you understand one additional key feature of their work, there’s another level of intricacy; in many of their paintings, the husband and wife team work together, simultaneously on the same canvas. According to the press release, the couple acknowledge this factor by saying, “As always with collaborative work, the greatest challenge is learning to respect the opinion of the creative partner and to accept constructive criticism.” I understand working together on projects with your significant other, but when I consider the collaboration and intensity it must take for two artists to work together on the same canvas, I am awed.