Winter

Eugenia Fedina-Penkrat, Winter

A woman with a passion for painting, drawing, and studying the contemporary arts, Eugenia Fedina-Penkrat (1964-2012) got her start after graduating with a degree in art-expert marketing from the St. Petersburg University of Humanities Faculty of Fine Arts. She was a teacher for the Department of Graphics at the Institute of Applied Arts and had multiple publications in various newspapers and magazines. Not only was she a pure intellect, but also she was devoted to her craft. Fedina-Penkrat has shown her works in some 40 exhibitions in Russia, the USA, Germany and Finland. She was also a member of several notable art associations; including the Artists Union of Russia, the International Association of Art Critics, and the Watercolor Society of St. Petersburg.

The first thing you notice about Fedina-Penkrat’s approach to painting from looking at Winter is her impeccable rendering of textures. The colors are very washed out and soft, which further enables the textures to take center stage. The whole canvas seems to flutter about as though a snowy breeze was ripping through, and in the midst of it, all the flowers struggle against the forces of Mother Nature. Regardless of the harsh conditions that surround them and the humility of the simple tea kettle they’ve been placed in, the flowers still have liveliness; the stem is thick and dark and the petals are puffed out in a healthy bloom (which is also significant because asters normally close their petals during cold dark days). Behind the flowers rises a white dove which gracefully materializes from the folds of the background; it seems to be the manifestation of the spirit of the flowers or their protector. While lacking in color, both the dove and asters symbolize hope, love, and faith; giving the quiet colors of winter a whole new meaning.