City Park Trail - contermporary Canadian landscape by Maxim Grunin

"City Park Trail" takes the viewer into a picture space, reminding of a park trail. This piece is made with the use of broad paint application. Brush, palette knife and paint spills create a vibrant surface that the viewer would want to examine up close. Subdued dark purples, grays, browns, greens and black make up the shadow areas of the piece. Subtle grades of orange-brown, brown-green, gray, ochre and highlights set the mid-tone and the light in the painting. "City Park Trail" is 36" X 24", acrylic, 2009.

Woods By The Soccer field - contemporary landscape painting by Maxim Grunin

"Woods by the soccer field" are often found near schools and recreation areas in North America. These patches of trees are part of the plant life infrastructure of the city. Walking into such patch will place you in a spot where many creatures such as squirrels and birds find shelter. This painting takes the viewer into woods entered by strong, warm sunlight. The surface of this piece is textured with bold, expressive palette knife strokes as well as the paint splats. "Woods by the soccer field" creates a unique picture space examined by the viewer. This painting is ambiguous and semi-abstract

Light In The Forest - by Maxim Grunin

"Light In The Forest", 24"X39", acrylic on canvas (gallery wrap), 2009. Getting out of my place is always a field trip - an excursion into the outside world. Out here visual properties of the landscape are observed first hand. Light, perspective, color and objects become apparent and revealing. Urban North American environment has it's individuality. Small patches of woods, parks, ravines, trails are left within suburban areas to help people breathe. "Light In The Forest" is an image harvested from my outside walks experience. In this landscape the light helps create an impression of depth.

"and the city" - painting by Maxim Grunin

and the city, 24"X24", oil on canvas, 2009 (sold)

It is a brand new day in the city and you are here, somewhere, with me... I live in Toronto, Canada. My reality unfolds in this modern city where technology and people are intertwined. Influenced by the immediate environment I tend to bring it's elements into my work. The image, the paint and the graffiti become combined in my painting in order to satisfy my search for the visual language reflective of the human condition. "and the city" is romantic, hopeful and poetic.

Sunflowers painting on sale - www.eBay.com

Flowers Of The Sun, 24"X30", acrylic on canvas, 2009

Sunflowers have a history of inspiration for the artists. Vincent Van Gogh among many painted them more then once. These flowers a strong and beautiful. Their shape and colors resemble the Sun. I used palette knife for the most part, to create this decorative piece. This painting's colors are quite vivid and it has a heavy texture of thick, overlapping strokes of acrylic paint. "Flowers Of The Sun" is a high quality painting perfect for interior decorating. It is on sale at great price on www.ebay.com eBay. Please contact me with questions and I will be happy to assist you.

self portrait painting and video monolog by Maxim Grunin

I often examine the self. What are my motives, how do I make my choices, what do I feel? It is important to me to try and understand what I am. This low resolution video is an attempt to say what's been on my mind...

Beautiful contemporary painting

thinking you, 30X30, acrylic on canvas, 2009 (sold)

This work started as a small collage where I used bits ripped out of fashion magazines glued onto a piece of paper painted over with broad strokes of acrylic paint. Marker drawing was added at the end when paint was dry. I wanted to combine magazine images, that attracted me, together to create a narrative. "thinking you" is approached as a collage, where the realistic elements are painted before the broad abstract surfaces and the thin black drawn lines. "thinking you" may illustrate a state of a person's mind while being on the road. The image is well composed within a square and contributes to pleasurable viewing experience. It is also rich in surface and ambiguous as a combination of symbols.