The Art of Guennadi Kalinine. D. Usher.

Summer 2009

Canadian landscapes are the greatest love, but second home, to an enigmatic Russian-born painter, who now calls Hamilton home.

Guennadi Kalinine was born in 1957 in the town of Zelenodolsk near the ancient city of Kazan in Russia. A city whose lineage stretches back more than 1,000 years, Kazan boasts a population of 1.5 million. The city itself is located on the Volga River, 700 kilometres east of Moscow. Guennadi finished college with an art and history degree from Kazan University - one of the oldest universities in Russia. Many of Russia's famous citizens have either taught or graduated from there, such as the writer Lev Tolstoy, mathematician Lobachevsky - even Lenin started his "career" as a revolutionary at Kazan.

In 1989 Guennadi Kalinine made his first visit to Canada working on a joint project with McMaster University. For four years, Kalinine and McMaster professor Sam Cioran, from the Humanities Computer Centre, worked together developing educational materials to help assist in the teaching of the Russian language to English- speaking students. The project was a huge success, with the result that today more than 30 universities in North America and the astronaut training center in Houston (NASA's Lyndon _ B. Johnson Space Center) now use the a" textbook, reader, video, audio materials and computer programs.

Guennadi Kalinine decided to immigrate to Canada in 2003 and chose Hamilton because it was the place he knew best in his new land. His first studio was located in Greensville just outside the town of Dundas and situated a mere few hundred metres from Webster's Falls. During all four seasons Guennadi visited this beautiful area trying to capture the light and atmosphere in his sketches. "If the artist cannot get the inspiration from that kind of wonderful creation of nature - he is blind," Kalinine states. "To illustrate the idea of endless beauty and eternity of nature in comparison with human age. I put the Angel in one of my paintings of Webster's Falls (In the Beginning there was the Word...)."

As an artist Guennadi Kalinine has gone through different periods and developed several different styles. Guennadi says: "Even now I experiment mixing genres 3 and cultural experience." {See paintings Centaur and Mermaid. Tragedy of Love in the City of Hamilton and Knight Angel and Death). "But the biggest inspiration for me is nature. I cannot stop painting landscapes. Canada is a great place to find these subjects. I love painting lakes, rivers, rocks and trees." Guennadi loves to paint landscapes and wonderful views of nature, whether from around the world or from the vantage point looking out of his front door.

He also paints wonderful portraits and semi- surrealistic scenes based on ancient mythology or fairytales. He has painted traditional orthodox icons for the last 30 years and is an accomplished restorer of old paintings. His second studio is located in downtown Dundas, the little town with a unique Scottish. French and Canadian flavor. From his window on the third floor Guennadi can see the Dundas Peak. He states: "The studio is my only place Þ work. I have two neighbors who are also artists and our gallery is downstairs. It is pretty, isolated and silent with classical music playing in the background -1 can't think what would be more inspiring." Guennadi is a truly creative force and as such has gone through many different periods in his artistic career. This may be one of the reasons that his favourite artists and styles span such a broad range. "Sometimes it scares me," he states. "I like so many different types of artwork and some of it is really unique. But the contemporary world of art is a single whole. The artist from Japan perfectly understands the pursuits of the artist from Europe or America. So I enjoy a variety of styles and genres, classical and contemporary art, trying to find my own way. I find great inspiration from the work of Hamilton artist and friend. Robert Ross, and one of my favorite local artists is Cathy Gibbon."

"For my painting," Guennadi says, "I use oil and acrylic, egg tempera and casein tempera, on canvas, wooden board and MDF. Oil paint is my favourite. I get inspired visiting art museums and going canoeing or hiking. Most of my artwork I do for myself. I have a formula." "Even doing painting for commissions I have to find the internal interest for myself. Why would somebody like my painting if I am not happy with it?"

Guennadi has some very simple advice for budding artists. "Learn classical art first and you will note that there is not much new invented in art for the last 4.000 years," When Guennadi is not painting you wilt probably find him in the gymnastic hall at McMaster or having a great conversation and meal with close friends. You will never find him out hunting or destroying things that nature created. Guennadi's favourite foods are vegetables of any kind and surprisingly he pairs them with red wine, mostly merlot. "One day my teacher and friend Dionisio Garcia cooked for me the traditional Spanish tortilla. It was a vegetable mix with egg baked in the pan. It was great and I was convinced that the dish had an aristocratic origin. When I mentioned this to my friend he burst out laughing. He advised me that Spanish farmers make this food when they are going to work. So I guess. I prefer local traditional food." His favourite foods are vegetables of any kind, surprisingly paired with red wine, usually merlot.

It has been a pleasure getting to know Guennadi and spending time with him. He is a lovely, warm, engaging man who is as much of this world as he is a creation of nature. His paintings are beautiful, enriched with colours and emotion. When viewing his work you know that he loves what he does. The feeling is evident in all he creates. Guennadi Kalinine is a wonderful enigma -but not one wrapped up in a riddle.