In the Studio with Albena Hristova
It is a sunny day in southern California and Albena Hristova is gathering mental images of the tropical plants that surround her house. Inside, Albena's studio occupies the largest room, with a stunning view of the lush trees and flowers that appear in many of her paintings.
The studio is not as quiet as Albena's soft, subtle paintings might suggest. Today she is listening to rousing Spanish guitar music, though she says that later she may switch to Carlos Santana or Mozart. The scent of strong coffee welcomes any visitor, along with the family dog Sharo (whose name means "Spot" in Bulgarian, Albena's native tongue). Albena has lived in California for over 10 years. The climate is vastly different from Bulgaria, but she instantly got used to the warmth and light. When she misses the seasons she and her family pack some bags and travel to the fall colors or snow. She is always happy to come home to the sunshine.
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"The whole house is light and bright, even on chilly days," Albena says. "It makes you feel optimistic and happy. It is translated from this landscape into my paintings." A new painting begins with a cryptic pencil sketch that might look like scratches to anyone but the artist. "I gather imagery from memory. Once I get something in my head I try to put it on canvas. Sometimes the image is elusive, but usually this way of working helps me avoid unnecessary details."
The surface foundation takes time to prepare. Albena creates her rich textures through a lengthy process she invented herself. She sketches the basic composition directly onto the foundation with paint and her tiniest brushes. Then she proceeds with the finished painting using a variety of brushes and colors. She paints exclusively in oil.
Albena decides whether a painting is complete by hanging it in her home for several days. If she likes how it feels as part of the decoration she considers it ready. It is always a painful separation to say goodbye to one of her pieces.
When not painting, Albena's eyes are gathering new ideas for the next pieces of work. "I'm very curious. I never stop collecting things a bad habit! I have more ideas than I can materialize. I keep sketches and clippings in folders that I can refer to."
Travel is also important to the creative process. Albena, her husband Max, and their 15-year-old son travel like gypsies. Last year they roamed through 23 cities in Spain in three weeks' time. They hope to visit Italy next year.
Afterward, they will return to this sun-filled home and Albena will create new paintings from her travel sketches while Sharo lies nearby.
