Inspiration of the Month - Stanka Kordic

I just love the ethereal romanticism found in Stanka Kordic’s gorgeous paintings. Each piece carries a moody tenor that blankets the viewer like morning fog and I find it both haunting and intimate.



What are your main inspirations in art?

Sorolla, Cassatt, Sargent, Seraphine de Senlis, Rothko, Diebenkorn

What is your art background? (education, experience, etc)

BFA, The Cleveland Institute of Art. Major in Illustration, Painting Minor. A few workshops here and there. I freelanced as an illustrator right out of school for a number of years (after traveling in Europe), a brief stint painting landscapes, over a decade as a commissioned portrait artist. Now this. I'm happiest here, doing my own thing with no one dictating anything.

What is your process for creating your work?

I drag my models around outdoors, usually parks, sometimes my own yard and take tons of photos. In reviewing them, something triggers the inspiration for the actual painting, whether it be an expression, an element of lighting, composition. Rarely though, is it all in one shot. That's just the starting point. I will usually change 80% of the photo around (color, etc) spontaneously. That's the intuitive part. Whether it be using tape, or sometimes bits of leafing, it all morphs as I go, and I can't predict the outcome :).



What is the single most important thing you want to communicate with your work?

Letting the viewer know that 'all will be well'.

What are your career goals?

To sell a painting or two on occasion.

What one object has been the most instrumental in helping you achieve what you have so far?

A space to work uninterrupted when I need it to be.



Tell me three random things about you.

• I need at least 7 hours of sleep to feel normal.
  
• I love water, but not being in it
  
• I used to hang out in closets with windows, and the attic as a kid.