Kaleidoscope of the Living World

of the Living World

Livia Doina Stanciu

Kaleidoscope

of the Living World

The raw green of leaves.

The roughness of the earth.

The perfect shapes of nature.

Unknown beauty suddenly revealed.

This is what I choose to paint.

Things I like and things that move me.

Shapes and colors of all kinds.

The kaleidoscope of the sky and earth.

The living world.

LIVIA DOINA STANCIU | 2017

I am a self-taught artist, who left the corporate world a few years ago to devote myself to painting. After learning the basics and taking private classes, I am currently a student at the University of Fine Arts in Bucharest, majoring in Painting.

My main source of inspiration is nature, particularly my own garden, which I tend to as often as I can. I also paint after my travels around the world, which allow me glimpses of fascinating shapes and colors: the kaleidoscope of the sky and earth.

I am fully aware that my artistic journey is still underway.

Wherever it may take me, I only wish to express on canvas all the images and feelings that surround me. I paint things that I like and things that move me.

I would be very happy if my art were to offer the viewer a peak of the beauty and emotion that inspired me to make

Exhibitions June 2017: “Windows to the world”, Russian Center for Culture and Science, Bucharest (Group Exhibition) July 2015: Contemporary Art, Bucharest (Group Exhibition) November 2014: “Autumn Emotion”, Piatra Neamţ, Romania (Group Exhibition)

FLOWERS

“ “

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.

CLAUDE MONET

LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Dancers in the Night, 2014 Drawing, Pastel on paper, 21 x 30 cm, framed.

Three magnolia flowers opening, their soft pink hues coming alive over the night-time background. The gentle blooms seem as gracious as three ballet dancers in mid-movement.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 30

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

A Moment in Space, 2014 Painting, Oil on canvas, 39 x 54 cm, framed.

The three magnolias look as if dancing round and round in front of a blurred background. It seems like the whole universe has focused upon a single moment of their graceful dance.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 32

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Orchids Dance, 2014 Painting, Oil on canvas, 29 x 39 cm, framed.

The orchids in bloom are the stars of this arrangement, drawing the gaze toward their petals, and leaving everything else in the painting fade into the blurry background.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 33

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

In Bloom, 2014 Painting, Watercolor on paper, 21 x 30 cm, framed. Private collection.

This bouquet of flowers bursts with beauty, color and light. The watercolor affords freshness and evanescence to the image.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 36

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Breath of Sunlight: Iris, 2015 Painting, Oil on canvas (stretched on cardboard), 30 x 40 cm, framed.

The ethereal petals of a blooming iris in spring look like an embrace of the elements. The iris itself looks as if it’s breathing sunlight directly.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 60

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Under the Bloom, 2015 Painting, Acrylic on paper, 28 x 40 cm, framed. Private collection.

A simple walk through the park can transform into a vision of beauty, as you lift your gaze up toward the canopy.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 56

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Lunch Date, 2016 Painting, Oil on canvas , 40 x 40 cm, not framed.

The two bees look like old friends seated around this chrysanthemum, with a lot of catching up to do. The bright light and vibrant colors are a tribute to the beauty of summer, as I experienced it while strolling in the garden of a quiet monastery.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 63

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Daffodils in a Blue Pitcher, 2016 Painting, Oil on canvas (stretched on cardboard) 40 x 40 cm, framed.

Private collection.

This bouquet of daffodils, gathered together in a blue jug, radiate joy.

Vivid hues of white and yellow call to mind the first honey of spring.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 70

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Carnation Against A Flowing Backdrop, 2016 Painting, Oil on canvas (stretched on cardboard), 50 x 40 cm, not framed.

The center of this piece is the solid, deep blue vase, around which flowers whirl around in soft hues of pink, green and cream.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 81

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Jug with Blue Irises, 2015 Painting, Acrylic on paper, 48 x 38 cm. Framed. Private Collection.

The jug and background display traditional Romanian motifs, with hues of brown, black and red, as one may find in any country house. The irises brighten up the room with a feeling of freshness and youth.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 62

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Fireworks in an Apricot Tree, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 48 x 57 cm, not framed.

During a glorious spring day, a blooming apricot tree seems like a never-ending fireworks display, completely covered in pink, magenta and purple hues.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 102

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Midday Light Washing Over The Irises, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 37 x 60 cm, not framed.

An uneventful day’s walk took me by this small patch of irises that were growing almost wildly on the side of the road. Their sun-washed petals were yearning for sunlight, and looked beautiful in front of an old, light-blue fence.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 101

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Summer in a Vase, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 39 x 28 cm, not framed.

This picture of summer evokes the frenzy of bright colors and sharp hues.

Just like one need not gaze into the shining sun for more than a second, summer is the season when a quick glimpse of a flower is enough to make a lasting visual impression on the beholder.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 104

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Watching Daffodils From Their Own Height, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 26 x 38 cm, not framed.

The unusual vantage point allows this group of daffodils to dominate the image. Even the fence and the fir tree behind them seem to pale in comparison with the proud loftiness of these flowers.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 111

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

A Dream of Magnolia, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 70 x 50 cm, not framed.

The slender magnolia tree is seen as if in a dream, with only the bright purple flowers in sharp focus. Everything else, even the branches and leaves of the tree, seem to fade in a soft, hazy background.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 112

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Magnolia in the Garden, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 cm, not framed.

The first of a series of similar paintings, focusing on a single flower in front of a plain, earthy background.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 105

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Tulip in the Garden, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 cm, not framed.

The sharp lines and colors of the bright purple tulip, undoubtedly the main character in the painting, are almost without rival. That is, except for its two red neighbors, which are almost ready to bloom themselves and replace the prima donna.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 107

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SCENERY

“ “

Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye... it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.

EDVARD MUNCH

LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Mountains Emerging Through the Pine Trees, 2013 Painting, oil on canvas, 44 x 54 cm, framed.

As you walk through an ancient pine forest, you stumble upon a picturesque valley opening up in front of you. The rows of trees act as a veil, through which you peer into the horizon. Located near Bran Castle, Romania.

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

The Rocks at Etretat, by Claude Monet (Study), 2014 Painting, Oil on canvas, 44 x 54 cm, framed.

The picture is a study of the “Les Rochers d’ Etretat” by Claude Monet.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 28

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Autumn: Leaves are Turning in Herastrau, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 50 x 70 cm, framed.

I was inspired for this painting by an afternoon walking in Herăstrau Park in Bucharest, on a peaceful, sunny mid-autumn day.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 88

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Seasons at the Crossroads, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 40 x 50 cm, not framed.

Spring in the Romanian mountains was particularly whimsical this year. In late April, when trees were in bloom and everyone thought we had seen the last of winter, a sudden cold and snowy weather came down upon the land.

Gazing over the hillside, it looked as if Winter and Spring were locked in battle. The image inspired me to paint a indecisive winter-spring landscape in the countryside, with the two seasons interwoven.

This piece won Third Place at the “2017 All Weather of the Seasons� organized by the Contemporary Art Gallery Online.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 103

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Two Forsythia Bushes, 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 48 x 57 cm, not framed.

A quintessential image of spring, with young green grass and bright yellow flowers filling the landscape.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 108

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Blue Twilight (Twin Skylines), 2015 Painting, Oil on canvas, 50 x 90 cm, not framed.

Twilight is so mysterious, blending land and city shapes, the depth of the lake and the height of the sky. Everything transforms under the strong, blue light.

Herăstrau Lake in Bucharest, at dusk.

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SHAPES

LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

“

The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.

“

PABLO PICASSO

LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Liquid State, 2015 Painting, oil on canvas, 33 x 41 cm, not framed.

Inspired by a cross-section of a mineral layer photo in National Geographic (author: Bernardo Cesare). The microscopic world exhibits the same beauty and richness that fills the entire world around us.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 46

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

(Still life with) Glass and Seashells , 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 40 x 50 cm, framed.

An homage to both geometry and the classical still life genre. The scattered seashells punctuate the sensual twists and turns of the cloth, as it surrounds three glass bottles of different color, shape and texture. In the background, the patter of the box with a single hole seems like an inverted seashell.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 86

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Still life with Tizian, 2016 Painting, Oil on canvas (stretched on cardboard), 40 x 50 cm, framed.

This still life is a study of contrasts, from classical shapes to flowing satin, from light to shadows, and from marble white to rich hues of bright blue.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 69

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TRAVELS

“

I have wandered all my life, and I have also traveled; the difference between the two being this, that we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

“

HILAIRE BELLOC

LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Sunset on the Long Island Sound, 2016 Painting, Oil on canvas (stretched on cardboard), 30 x 40 cm, not framed.

At sunset time over the coast of Long Island, all sorts of hues and shadows come alive. The three slender towers seem as gracious as the sun itself.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 75

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Chitchat on a Hot Day, 2016 Painting, Oil on canvas (stretched on cardboard), 30 x 40 cm, not framed.

The unlikeliest of friends, an iguana and a potted palm tree, enjoy a moment together in the courtyard of an old Central American monastery. You can almost feel the scorching sun washing the color off the old walls.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 67

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

(Siesta in) Barrio Viejo, 2016 Painting, Acrylic on paper, 40 x 50 cm, not framed.

Valladolid has been declared one of Mexico’s magical pueblos, and this quiet street with colorful, sun-washed houses explains why. The air fills with silence as the town all but disappears indoors for the afternoon siesta.

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Gazing through Time, 2016 Painting, Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm, not framed.

A young girl in a straw hat gazes dreamily through the arches at Convento de San Bernardino de Siena. The painting features an unusual geometry, in the way the arch in the foreground and those in the background seem magically connected. We might not even be so surprised if the girl’s mirror image were to appear on the other side of the courtyard, looking back at us.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 72

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Boats at Playa CelestĂşn, 2016 Painting, Oil on canvas, 50 x 70 cm, not framed.

The image is split up into three horizontal layers, each representing a different world: the sky inspires majesty, the ocean exhudes depth and mystery, while the beach and colorful boats seem quaint and tranquil by comparison.

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Internal Catalogue ID: 73

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LIVIA DOINA STANCIU

Taking your Daughter to See the Pyramid, 2016 Painting, Oil on canvas, 40 x 50 cm, not framed.

As majestic and immovable as the great pyramid of ChichĂŠn ItzĂĄ may seem, the father and daughter in the foreground bring everything down to human scale. Maybe this is a reminder of the fact that the appearance of things changes when they are being watched.

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Stranded in Shallow Water (Akumal Playa, Mexico), 2017 Painting, Oil on canvas, 50 x 70 cm, framed.

This painting captures the plight of four small boats while a storm is brewing.

The waves are becoming stronger and stronger, and the beautiful colors of the water in their wake is a beautiful spectacle for anyone watching from the safety of the shore. But from the vantage point of the boats, it all seems like a struggle for survival.

LIVIA DOINA STANCIU livia_stanciu@yahoo.com