Odessa, last century

Tulip and Apple, 1981 Wood

I started with painting. Later I turned to experimenting with clay and wood carving. I was doing it for self-expression, just love this feeling of creating something new (at least, for me).
Some of my works I was able to bring to USA after emigrating in 1991. Other pieces were left in Odessa and were, probably, lost.
My style has changed - the work became more abstract and organic. I started using found materials - driftwood, burls, or tree limbs. Many times, it was my wife Regina's sharp eye and sense of beauty which helped her to see through bark and clutter. If a piece of wood can wake up the imagination, or just possesses an undefined promise, it can be made into sculpture. I usually let wood lay idle for a while - until I can see what it might become. Then I start carving and cutting it to reveal hidden structure, movement, or emotion, until the sculpture is able to occupy and hold space.