Factory of Colors

Nature, as the most wonderful, beautiful and close to man, has a great variety of colors and paints: shades of seasons, bright patterns of animal fur, flora and fauna of underwater world. Since the ancient times there were known pigments, which come from natural materials such as lazurite, seashells and even insects.

Nowadays, a man as creature of nature has become more independent from surrounding world. He separates himself from nature and creates something absolutely new, previously not existent. Thanks to modern technologies and scientific progress man is now able to synthesize different pigments himself. Our chemistry is able to extract necessary colors from what nature gives us, as well as to make some pigments from already existent reagents. These thoughts inspired me so much, that I decided to give my full attention to this individual project: production of oil paints.

For this work I preferred to use some of metal oxides, which were at my disposal. In laboratory conditions I was able to extract a number of oxides by tempering different types of clays. To be more specific, I was able to get iodide of lead and a little of “Prussian blue”.

It appeared to be quite exciting to paint with my own paints. They were quite above average quality, better then what people can find in a regular store. They are getting dry faster and their colors are something more close to natural ones. When had a question about what to paint there was not really much of debate. I wanted to paint sunflowers, because they are very bright and though they may seem to be simple at the first glance, but there is always more to shiny appearances then people usually think. Many people could relate to this one. Their natural beauty is in small details. For then its enough just to exist.

As I painted this, I felt could feel even the warmness of a summer sun, smells of rural field and a light wind, foretelling changes.

On my opinion the essence of art is namely in the fact, what audience feels, When they understand any work, and as for me, landscapes excellently transmit as the mood of the author, so joyful feelings to the people.

-Anna Shkodskikh, Anastasia Ponomarenko, Dmitriy Lipovka , Russia