Pursue of Happiness in my art becomes a key to inner and outer Balance. “Woke Up Too Early For Love” compliments French Dreams Series (Rêves Français). It bears the lightness of “art de vivre” that lives in the air of Parisian sudios, Provencale fields and French Riviera mornings. The first glimpse of new day’s dawn as seen by morning people just before the world wakes up, aftertaste of sweet dreams and expectation of upcoming magic. The painting is created a la prima with oil colours linking my art to historical traditions of impressionists who depict eternal beauty of human and nature. I am re-thinking their heritage to create my path towards conscious pursue of Happiness.

Woke Up Too Early For Love

"The Smell of Cherry Jam" compliments the "Sogni Italiani" series representing the peaceful family lunch at the lake. The state of Happiness for me is a mix of visions, smells, sounds and feelings. I am engaging all senses of the viewers to follow their own path of sweet memories of dreams. The painting features both of the main characters of my art - Sunlight and Bluebird of Happiness. I keep turning to them while depicting the moments of joy and elusive state of inner balance. I am fascinated by the sunlight, the way it lights up the colors of the day and creates warm bright memories of the cherished time that we spend with our beloved ones. The metaphor of Bluebird as a metamodernist image is seen as harbinger of Happiness and Hope in pantheons of ancient and contemporary cultures. People keep chasing the Bluebird and its vibes in of our daily life while it is always reachable as soon as one starts looking for it. 

The Smell Of Cherry Jam

The metaphor of Bluebird as a metamodernist image is seen as harbinger of Happiness and Hope in pantheons of ancient and contemporary cultures. People keep chasing the Bluebird and its vibes in of our daily life forgetting that it is always reachable as soon as one starts looking for it. There are those who retain Happiness through all turbulence and joys and sorrows, the Bluebird always lives by their home. Storks are recognised as symbols of Happiness, Devotion and genuine Love. A home that they choose to live next to is believed to be blessed.

Bluebird's Home

True To Life

  
 "Horthensia Morning Dreams" makes part of "Sogni Italiani / Italian Dreams" series. The portrait of overwhelming Peace and Happiness borne in my heart by endless purity of nature on the new day's dawn sends my love message to absolute beauty of the world around us. I am striving to suggest a way to live through turbulent times by capturing treasured moments of Joy, celebration of Beauty and value of Life as they are.

Hortensia Morning Dreams

The bright color and jewel-shaped seeds of pomegranates symbolize life, resurrection and the afterlife in many cultures and religions. They have also been renowned throughout history for representing and bringing success. I am using "a la prima" technique to transmit on the canvas the emotions of happiness and richness of life. 

Emerald Pomegranate Dream

My art is largely inspired by my travels around the world. This particular piece belongs to "Réves Français - French Dreams" series created during my trips to France. Painted a la prima at Côte d'Azur it carries the warmth of riviera sun and peaceful smell of flowers blooming by the sea. I am portraying innate codes of Happiness that can be understood by most people on Earth. The main character of this painting is Sunlight. I keep turning to it in my art while depicting the moments of happiness and elusive state of inner balance. I am fascinated by the sunlight, the way it lights up the colors of the day and plays upon the hues. It allows me to appreciate even gloomy rainy hours, giving hope for a brighter day to come. 

Olive Afternoon

Most world cultures admit importance of balance between darkness and light, yin and yang, joys and sorrows, freedom and protectiveness. One hardly exists without the other. I am neither escaping from life tensions, nor ignoring them. The viewer of my art is invited to embrace all sides of reality and yet to pay attention to small instants of natural Beauty and Peace that can be found everywhere around us. Between incredible speeds of daily happenings and overwhelming flow of all kinds of information I find it important to halt for a second and give a thought on one’s true values that stay with us forever. Contemplations on the very essence of Happiness lead me on the way towards self-identification in modern controversial world. This way will be unique for each person, so my task as an artist is not to guide the viewer, but rather suggest to consider which direction to follow, to explore what can be one's inner fortress and what gives us freedom to fly high. 

Riviera Skies

Through encounters with other cultures, contemplation of nature and people in different parts of our beautiful planet, I am looking for universal links uniting souls in pursue of Happiness. For a long time I have been studying the problematics of identity and communication in international literature, psychology and philosophy. My art reflects the process and results of my research, I am portraying innate codes of Happiness that can be understood by most people on Earth. In this painting I am exploring perception of Prosperity and its correlation with Happiness. What true Prosperity is? Is it something that we can touch of can we only feel it inside? What kind of Prosperity lifts us up or brings us down? I am inviting the viewer to contemplate on this while enjoying the view of ripe crops under the rays of summer sunshine. 

Prosperity

In "Blue Japanese Dream" I am studying the concept of Perfection that is often percepted as obligatory ingredient of Happiness. Tender blue flowers as quintessence of pure natural beauty in this composition could be labeled as imperfect due to many reasons: lack of symmetry, odd number of flowers, sharp petals, uneven background and many more. One's pursue of Happiness is often disrupted by negative yet controversial public opinion that can give false guidelines and ruin fragile hopes and aspirations. It is important to remember that it uncovers the vices of society, not those of the subject of criticism. Most standards and goals criteria would be different for various people, societies and cultures. At the same time universal codes of natural beauty remain understandable by every human. 

  
Portrait of vivid blue flowers is painted by natural oil colors linking my art to historic traditions of depicting beauty of the world. It is presented against synthetic acrylic background as metaphor or artificial components of modern emotional environment. 

  
I am referring to traditional Japanese philosophy in search of creating inner comfort from very simple things, seeing nature as endless source of immaculate beauty and genuine happiness. 

Blue Japanese Dream

"The Garden of Light" makes fundamental part of "Impressions" series. It portrays emotions evoked by the moment of natural beauty. The rays of warm spring sun playing on the leaves and flowers of carefully grown garden are transmitting the state of stillness, calmness and inner balance. The viewer is invited to dwell into the labyrinths of light and color in search of answers to unasked questions on the way to true elusive Happiness. Oil paints as a medium of natural origin emphasize eternal bonds between real beauty of this world and harmony of human soul, the bonds that are frequently forgotten by people but do not get any weaker. 

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Irina Metz