Second International Watercolor Symposium – Belogradchik, 2017

Second International Watercolor Symposium  – Belogradchik, 2017

For the second time Belogradchik hosted the annual Watercolor Forum from the 20 – 30th July, 2017. Fifteen notable watercolors artists from six different countries took part. The organizer of the event was IWS – Bulgaria and Snezhana Zhivkovа. General sponsor was Milen Bazinski, consultant and the author of the graphic concept was Krassimir Todorov Krasi Todorov Art.

This edition of the symposium as well as the opening of the International Watercolor Triennial – Varna 2016, together with the following festival, foundation IWS – Bulgaria followed the idea of synthesis of watercolors with other arts, both visual and performing, such as opera and ballet. At the same time of the watercolor symposium Belogradchik held the summer festival “Opera of the Peaks”, a series of performances by the Sofia Opera under the open sky. In addition to the incredible landscape of Belogradchik, its rocks and caves the opera performances added depth in the perception and reverberate it at the watercolor sheet. Each of the participants performed their multimedia presentation of their individual creativity. Working in various groups and all together this experience enriched us both technically and emotionally.

The authors involved their culture and individual handwriting in the theme of the symposium (“Landscape of Belogradchik”): Ali Abbas Syed

 (Pakistan) painted his Sufi beside the rocks which perfectly fitted the mystical landscape. Linda Doll (US) presented her characteristic backlit and light-lit figures against the background of the endless landscape of the area. Rajat Subhra Bandopadhyay

 (India) chose the realistic images of Chachin Stone, which is also the basis for the logo of the symposium. Milko Bozhkov

 painted both realistic and abstract watercolors. Nader Mohazabnia

, Sareh Shirin Mohebeian

 and Azita Davarkhah

 (Iran) were captivated by nature and the magic of opera. Katerina R. Kovatcheva

 (Bahamas) was inspired by the local lifestyle and culture. Stella Canfield

  (USA) created rocks and figures in her usual impressionistic style. Plamena Racheva

 saw in the rocks their legend. Krassimir Todorov Krasi Todorov Art

 presented extraordinary dynamic compositions saturated with color in large formats. Penka Atanasova

 recreated the poetry of the rocks as Selma Селма Тодорова

 with her lyrical stories and Harri Hari Ivanov Atanasov

 with sparing but active color, used the technique “wet in wet”. This technique helped them to deliver the air vibration, the spirit of the opera and the sound of timelessness of this divine place which we were proud to share with our colleagues from abroad.

The symposium ended with an exhibition at the City Art Gallery “Valcho Valchev”, Belogradchik with two works by each author. The works were selected by a special jury: Selma Todorova Селма Тодорова

 (curator of the exhibition and head of IWS – Bulgaria), Ali Abbas Syed

 (head of IWS – Pakistan, director of the Art department of the University in Jamshorо), Linda Doll (head of IWS – USA, longtime president of the NWS) and Plamena Racheva

 Dimitrova-Racheva (director of City Art Gallery – Varna). Mr. Eric Rubin , Ambassador of the United States and his wife Nicole Simmons, connoisseurs of the fine arts and of the unusual nature of Belogradchik attended the opening of the show.