The climax. (2021) Zeichnungen von Svetlana Gudilova

This painting was inspired by Handel's suite No. 7 in G minor, part of the Passacaglia.

Passacaglia is the overall culmination of a piece of music. Like the climax of colors at sunset. In a variation form, as a piece of music, I saw the image of one landscape, which each time changes depending on the lighting.

The first variation is monumental and majestic, like the movement of clouds and their changing shapes and colors. The next two variations are characterized by calmness, softness and smoothness of lines, like the repetitive movement of waves.

The fourth and fifth variations unite the whole image. It comes to life, is filled with a fresh wind, ripples on the water are felt, a new vibration of color and sound. And as a result, we hear the triumph of nature and color ...

Even while studying music, I learned about myself such a feature that when I listen to a piece of music, picturesque colorful images appear in my head. I believed that this happens with every person who listens to music. And only at the institute I learned that this feature is very rare and even scientifically studied. Its name is SYNESTHESIA.
Synesthesia is a type of color hearing in which musical sounds evoke color associations in a person.
In the paintings, as a color basis for the background, I take the sound tonality in which the work is written, and then convey the music of classical composers with the help of paints and colors.
My paintings are filled with music. When I paint pictures, I listen to a piece of music, and if the piece I am listening to is vocal, then I sing ... I am a laureate of international competitions in opera vocal and performing another piece, my picture is filled with live sounds and vibrations of music ...
And if the piece is instrumental, then I look for its piano score, and after the painting is finished, I perform that piece of music that inspired me on the piano and, accordingly, I also fill it with music ..

Why do I use seascapes for color rendering, and not abstraction?

The fact is that sea waves beat against the shore with a certain rhythm.

Dante also used the rhythm of the sea to compose the verse of his works. And music, as you know, is rhythmic.

The sea for me is the most alive on earth and changing its state; in my opinion, it is best suited for conveying a musical mood. Indeed, in different types of art, the state of mind was compared with natural phenomena. And what can disturb the soul as strongly as a sea storm, or soothe it, as the sound of water of quiet and gentle waves?


My paintings are the material embodiment of music, so you won't see animals or birds on them. This way I want the extra details not to interfere with the color perception.

Generic talent allows me to see the picture of the world in a special way, and the lack of knowledge of any professional canons did not develop in me fears of doing something wrong ... With the development of the Internet, it became possible to learn from different masters, absorbing various techniques from them and methods, and develop in those directions that interest me. I didn’t spend precious time at the institute drawing what I don’t need, but for a long time I developed my style.

The most beautiful time at sea is during sunset. The rays of the sun paint the waves in different colors. They are reflected from the water and the sea seems to glow from the inside. I like this time of day so much that I never get tired of drawing it and finding new types and colors.

Have you noticed that during the twilight, the colors around become juicier and brighter?
In my opinion - pastel is much better than other types of paints, conveys brightness and richness, which I love so much in paintings. Therefore, for the image of the sea, I chose pastel. And if you put a pastel painting in a frame behind the glass, not forgetting to put a mat - an interlayer that would separate the painting from the glass, not allowing the pastel layer to come into contact with the glass, then such paintings retain their richness of colors much longer than oil painting.

Unlike oil paintings, the paint on them will not crack and burst.

And also - the twilight conveys human emotions so well. As the sun goes down, everything changes as quickly as the emotional experience.