Pastel Little Pond, artist Elena Polovna-Vasilyeva

• Artist: Elena Polovna-Vasilyeva
• Title: "Little Pond"
• Year: 2023
• Size: 50 × 35 cm
• Materials: paper, oil pastel; unframed
• Original handmade artwork

The horizontal work "Little Pond" depicts a small body of water among hills. At the centre of the composition lies a pond whose dark surface reflects light clouds. It is surrounded by lush bushes and trees, and on the right a green meadow strewn with small white flowers resembling cotton grass stretches into the distance. In the background rise the slopes of hills lined with slender trees casting long diagonal shadows. In the lower left corner a bush with white blossoms and tall grasses stand out, leading the viewer's eye into the space of the landscape. The space of the landscape unfolds gradually: from the foreground grasses to the water, then to the meadow and the hills on the horizon.

The work is executed in oil pastel on paper. The artist uses rich, dense strokes and boldly generalises forms: tree crowns, bushes and slopes become patches of colour with expressive outlines. The long shadows and inclined lines of the slopes give the composition dynamism, while the horizontal of the pond and meadow balances it. The signature "Polovna O." with the date is visible in the lower right corner. In places the texture of the paper shows through the pastel, giving the surface a sense of lightness.

The colour scheme is built on bold, almost decorative combinations. Violet, lilac, crimson and orange convey the shadows and sunlit slopes, turquoise outlines accentuate the tree crowns, and the yellow-green meadow is full of light. Nature is shown here not in its real colours but as the artist feels it — festive, warm and full of energy. The work leaves a bright, joyful impression. The reflection of the clouds in the pond brings cool, light accents into the rich colour range.

Elena Polovna-Vasilyeva has taken part in regional, national and international exhibitions since 2002 — the same year her first solo exhibition was held at the "Literary Prydniprovia" museum. The artist works in various techniques, including watercolour, oil pastel and acrylic.

The horizontal format is well suited to hanging above a desk, a chest of drawers or in a small living room. The work is unframed, so it can be placed in a frame with a mat in a colour chosen to match the interior. Its juicy hues will make it a bright accent in a light room. This landscape will be a memorable gift for a woman, a colleague or a business partner, as well as for an admirer of contemporary colourful graphic art. The work pairs well with wood, linen and other natural materials.