I recently stopped by the studio of LA painter  and B/D featured artists Stas Orlovski. Stas and I have been trading studio visits for quite a while and it’s always fun to see what he’s up  to. Not only is his work brilliant but he has a studio that anyone would be jealous of. It’s more tropical oasis than studio with amazing landscaping surrounding the converted garage studio. More  finished paintings and work in progress after the jump.

The interior of Stas’s studio does not dissapoint with minimal designer furniture and ample room. Stas swore that his studio was cleaner than usual due to a recent open studio but I’ve been there several times and it’s always immaculate.

I’ve always been intrigued with Stas’s process of making work. He often works with a master printmaker to print various images on thin japanese paper. Sometimes the same image will be reused in multiple paintings, being altered for each paintings. In the above painting the gradient background, and the diagonal  rain marks were made using various printmaking techniques. Once the printing was completed the paper was adhered to the canvas and  then the water drops were painted on top. The final result is a seamless surface that has a delicate vintage feel.

The tools of the trade…

A glimpse into the various references informing the work.

One of my favorite new works in the studio is “Nocturne with Pine and Birds”. The area at the bottom of the piece with the trees and birds is created from a wide variety of materials and techniques. Stas uses a combination of painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, and transfers to create delicately dense compositions. You have to almost put  your nose right up to the surface to differentiate the various techniques.

“Nocturne with Head and Flowers” In progress…

Detail of “Nocturne with Head and Flowers”showing all the dense layering involved in the work. Is that a Brancusi in the bottom left hand side?

A series of new smaller paintings.

The mountains in this image are a print while the curtain is oil paint.

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