Art drives me, challenges me, picks me back up and smacks me in the face. I use my artwork and paintings to spread optimism and a positive mental attitude among my viewers. I believe in creating colorful, thought-provoking artwork using very simple themes. I have been inspired throughout the years by many artists, from Oskar Kokoschka to Bob Ross to Jack Kirby. Whether it is the intensity of my brushstrokes or the soft blending of my landscapes, my consistency can be found in my technicolor pallet. I create art because of the ones I love, to inspire future generations and to spread a positive message.
Toronto-based artist Simon Raskina creates displays of majestic color through his detailed paintings of familiar and exotic subjects. His work focuses on the enduring natural beauty of landscapes and animals, with applications of kaleidoscopic brushstrokes and smoky textures to produce a picturesque quality. Although working in a realistic style, Raskina's compositions contain an idealized palette that tends towards fantasy and neon opulence. This effect, however, only adds to the naturalistic style and the overall sense of positivity and unrestrained energy in his works.
Raskina's stylistic choices are glued together with the use of blended acrylics and attention to the figurative aspects of the paintings. His representations of animals, for example, use descriptive brushstrokes and details to embody energetic measures of emotional depth. By characterizing his subjects in this way, Raskina shows a more experimental side, allowing elements of playfulness and chance into the picture. In contrast to some avant-garde art, Raskina's work is explicitly created with a positive message in mind, which is particularly reflected in the harmonious palette and the real sense of personality in each work of art.
Simon Raskina was born and raised in Toronto, Canada where he continues to live and work today. He is a creative director and art teacher for a private studio in Markham, Ontario.
