There are two reasons why landscape paintings by Natalia Kalugina are well familiar to art enthusiasts from Ashgabat: firstly, they are so distinctive that they cannot be confused with landscapes by other artists, secondly, they are on show at almost every collective exhibition.
You will never see Natalia Kalugina at her easel in the city she has few cityscape paintings. “My heart is in the mountains”, the artist admits frankly, and goes outside the city to paint en plein air (“in the open air”) on her own or in the company of her relative amateur artist Yustina Nikolaevna Kurilo.
For the record, Doctor of Geology and Mineralogy Natalia Pavlovna Kalugina studied painting via e-learning.She is now a member of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan and her paintings can be seen in museums throughout the country, as well as in private collections in Turkmenistan and beyond.
Apart from painting, she is keen on handcrafted jewelry using ornamental stones.Each set of jewelry boasts a national flavor and historical context, conjuring up ancient legends, the names of empresses and beauties, who made their indelible imprint on folk memory.
- I am an incurable traveler at heart, Natalia Pavlovna tells.This is absolutely true: despite her age, she never deprives herself of the pleasure of getting away from all the comforts of city life in order to reconnect with Mother Nature and fall in love with one more scenically beautiful place in our home country, to set up her easel and capture the breathtaking beauty on canvas.
Once, when Natalia Pavlovna was in a saxaul grove near Anau, she saw lively saplings. It was noon, and the young trees were soaking up the Turkmen sun’s life-giving rays. Their slender stems fluttered in the light breeze giving the illusion of their light-hearted conversation.
- I set up my easel, Natalia Pavlovna tells, and depicted the delicate young trees in the landscape painting entitled “Lovingly Caressed by the Sun”.
The artist’s “The Tree in the Kyrkgyz Ravine” was painted just a short distance away from Archman, nearby the holy site which has long been associated with the well-known legend about 40 girls, who hid themselves from their enemies in the ravine.
A lonely tree grows in the harsh rock environment here just like Robinson Crusoe on the deserted island.
Like the above-mentioned work, “An Evening in the Outskirts of Ashgabat’ is an abstract painting. The artist painted the sky, the mountains, the hills and the plain in harmonious pale yellow hues: copper, bronze, golden, silver, and again copper.
There is an adventure story behind one famous landscape painting by the artist.
- One day, Yustina Nikolaevna and I went to Chandyr, Natalia Pavlovna tells.Approaching the Mausoleum of Gyzylimam, we saw an eagle with the unusually orange coloration on the highest dome.
It was watching us closely from above.We saw that same eagle for the second time while moving towards the exit of the graveyard.We regarded the bird’s courteous manners as a good luck wish to us for the safe crossing of the Chandyr Pass.
And we did need luck: now the Chandyr Pass is considered safe.But at that time it consisted of two gaping chasms and a narrow path between them.
The locals did not have difficulties crossing it, but for us, city dwellers, it was like a breathtaking acrobatic stunt, especially when it was foggy.
After a little while, we saw four mulberry trees.Mulberries are the most absurd-looking trees of all, particularly, if their branches are frequently pruned for silkworms.As soon as I glanced at the “shaggy” trees, I heard “The March of the Trolls” by Edvard Grieg in my ears.
This is how I made a sketch for my painting “The March of the Trolls or Mulberry Trees in Chandyr”.
Unbelievably, but we saw our old acquaintance, the orange eagle, on the way back again. This time, a magpie provided the eagle with some company, excitedly sharing the news with it. Most likely, we were the heroines of the day.
The painting “On the Caravan Route” also has a very fascinating story behind it. Natalia Pavlovna shared it:
- Once, I was fortunate enough to travel along a caravan route across the Chilmamedkum Desert.We went there and back by three Jeep cars.Nobody goes to these places alone.
The desert should be taken seriously.And a saxaul tree by the caravan route with strips of cloth tied to its branches is seen as a warning sign.
The area is stunningly beautiful, especially in the spring, when the sunshine and breezes are warm and welcoming, but the beauty can be deceptive!It is not safe to be there alone.
There is even nothing mystical about it, and there is a simple logic behind it.If you drive a car on your own: your car battery can fail in the heat, or the engine can break down, or the wheels can get stuck in sand and the desert will claim another victim.
The snowy weather in our warm and rich in sunshine area helped the artist to paint “The Winter in the Desert”.That day, most people preferred to stay in, enjoying the comforting warmth of their homes.
Having taken the easel, the two women, Natalia Kalugina and Yustina Kurilo, went by car to Anau and then to the desert area.How could they have stayed at home, if they had not depicted sand dunes covered in snow yet!
- A dull and gloomy landscape stretched before us, Natalia Pavlovna tells.It was freezing cold and there were icicles hanging from saxaul trees.I climbed the highest dune to get a better view of the area.
It was not an easy task to set up the easel.The harsh and bone-chilling wind tried to make the unexpected guest go down.My companion wrapped me in her shawl, and hid herself in the car.
I had to work quickly not to let my fingers freeze up completely.The painting showed a lonely cat by the blurred road stretching away to the distant horizon.
On either side there were vast expanses of dingy white sand.It was not possible to recognize ochre-colored dunes in them.I did my best to catch the desert’s somber and melancholy mood together with the icy wind sweeping across.
This was what I saw that day, but this is not typical weather for our area.
When we got into the car, we soon warmed up.We felt really delighted with our unusual adventure and looked forward to some hot homemade soup.When I came home I immediately removed the painting off the still-icy easel and carefully put flat to dry.
I had already had a painting spoiled by rain.I had no right to ruin this painting since a great deal of effort went into it.Soup and hot bath could wait.
Do viewers feel the artist’s presence in “The Winter in the Desert’? Or maybe, the painting gives them the impression of unusual visual perception it turns out that the desert can look like that?! Most probably, it is the second. It is a pity!
-Not at all! the artist argues with me. After all, I enormously enjoy my trips.