Rising Stars: Meet Lyudmila Tomova

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyudmila Tomova.

Hi Lyudmila, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Being a professional artist for almost all my life has clearly defined who I am. Since early childhood, seeing the world around me as a kaleidoscope of perfect painting subjects, sketches, and creative concepts has become an integral part of how I see life. In addition, my rich life experiences and adventures have added many more layers to my perceptions. Currently, I paint figures, portraits, murals, and landscapes in oil, watercolor, and acrylic, but I’ve also worked in pen and ink, pencil, charcoal, and all kinds of mixed media. Winning many awards and being well-recognized nationally and internationally for my unique impressionist style has not changed my undying passion to keep perfecting my art and endlessly exploring new horizons and possibilities. Knowing how much more I can do, I’m never quite content with staying in one spot with a particular medium, subject, or style, but keep challenging myself to try harder and do more. I immigrated to the US in 1990 as a political refugee from Sofia, Bulgaria where I grew up, surrounded by my artist grandfather’s inspiring paintings. Bulgaria was a communist country at the time and quite suffocating for a creative spirit. It was an authoritarian regime that was tyrannical to everyone. I grew up in a small apartment in Sofia with my mother, a teacher, and my father, a military doctor who fully supported my passion for art. Even though I had great art education in my Special High school of fine art, the future of being a successful artist was looking bleak in a country where artists were expected to paint only communist propaganda. I worked very hard during my early days developing my artistic talent. The art education I received in Sofia was very intense and rigorous. We were expected to draw a hundred sketches per day from life, learning all the fundamentals of art in a classical style. After a highly competitive 3-day national exam, I was accepted into the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, majoring in Illustration.

In my 3rd year at the Academy, a group of friends and I decided to escape from the oppressive regime in Bulgaria and head West. It wasn’t easy, of course, and knowing how that would’ve crushed my parents, I stayed behind when my friends left in August of 1989. But three months later, I realized that I must leave Bulgaria no matter what. After some long adventures flying to Germany and being smuggled to Austria, I finally was reunited with my friends. We were processed as refugees waiting to be interviewed and vetted by various countries. I left without telling my family with only a small bag of clothes and a huge portfolio of artwork. After nine months, we were accepted to the US and flown to New York City. Landing in the Big Apple with only $30 in my pocket was one of the happiest days of my life. I worked hard and managed to finish my art education 3 years later, graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology in Illustration with a gold medal and in the top ten of my class. I was also selected out of 3,000 candidates to become an intern at Disney Feature Animation Studio in Orlando, FL. My time at Disney taught me various new skills and was an unforgettable experience.

I lived in New York City for 20 years working as a full-time painter, editorial illustrator, and designer, exhibiting nationally and abroad. I also worked as a display designer and scenic painter for Hasbro’s NY International Toy Fair. My artistic career endured many twists and turns, including being a graphic designer for large corporations such as JP Morgan and UBS. I had to juggle being an artist, illustrator, raising a family, and paying the bills. The lively environment and dynamism in the big city eventually became tiring, especially after having my two children and we decided to move to a more tranquil place like North Carolina.

We settled in Cary, a beautiful, picturesque town that was rated as the top five places to raise a family. Surrounded by beauty and nature significantly affected my painting style too. After the classical, realistic painting style during my early years, I had gravitated into more conceptual, satirical, and almost abstract pieces while being in New York. After moving to North Carolina, I made a full circle and went back to my realist, impressionist way of painting, but enriched by my previous experimental style. In other words, I merged abstract and realistic elements together to create mood, movement, and an impression of the world around and within us. I try to add spontaneity, boldness, and elegance all at once by telling magical stories that evoke complex emotions. Currently, I paint portraits, figures, landscapes, murals, as well as painting live at weddings. I also teach watercolor, oil, acrylic, and drawing workshops in various locations in North Carolina.

I’ve been featured in the International Artist magazine with a 6-page article, Walter magazine, Splash books, and many others. I’m also a Signature Member of the Watercolor Societies of NC, GA, and the Southwestern Watercolor Society. My work has been part of numerous juried national and international exhibitions such as 2020 NC Annual Artist exhibition at CAM, MOWS International Juried Exhibitions in Barcelona, Spain, and Qingdao, China, The 1st International Watercolor Society Biennale in Vancouver, Canada, The 2nd IWS Triennale in Bulgaria, many exhibitions by the WFWS, IWE, NWS, IWS CA, ArtFields 2019 and 2021 winning 1st place in the live portrait competition, 10th Annual PleinAir Salon and many others. I was also accepted into the North Light Books’ watercolor competitions Splash 20: Creative Composition and Splash 18: Value | Light + Dark, part of the Splash: Best of Watercolor series for the Artists Network and in North Light Books’ drawing competition Strokes of Genius 8: Expressive Texture. I was recognized at the NC Museum of Art for my “Butterfly Women” series for The Emerging Women NC organization.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My road has never been smooth and easy. Living in a communist country with an oppressive environment and lacking in basic freedoms and comfortable living conditions marked my determination to succeed and search for opportunities in a free country such as the United States. My journey here, although not easy, has built my character making me always push my own boundaries and embrace challenges. It has enriched my artistic expression and added the necessary stamina needed to becoming a serious artist. I had $30 in my pocket, an art portfolio and a dream that eventually became a reality. Sometimes I’ve wondered if being too versatile is hurting my brand, but after some self-reflection I realized that versatility is my brand. I just can’t be restricted into one or two art genres. There are definitely not enough hours in the day to do it all, but I still try because it is truly my authentic self.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m well known for my loose impressionistic paintings of figures, portraits, and landscapes. My artistic style has gone through many transformations since my early years of studying classical art at the National Academy of Fine Art, the Special School of Fine art in Sofia, Bulgaria, and later, at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, majoring in Illustration. Armed with the solid foundation of rigorous traditional training, I dove into exploring abstract, primitive, conceptual, and satirical art as an illustrator for many years. Now, I have come full circle and am again painting representational art with my own unique flavor of modern impressionism.

I know deeply that my exploration days are far from over. My art evolves continuously, but the essence of passion and movement in my work remains constant. This bold, impressionist approach has been fully integrated into my unique artistic expression, eliminating any fear or hesitance with watercolor. The focus is immediately shifted to what’s important, and not the literal and mundane, leading the viewer where they need to be. Painting loosely, unbothered by too many rules, creates a powerful message where we say more with less.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I’ve learned that hard work, perseverance, and being true to your inner vision are really important for your success as an artist. That vision can change dramatically over time but as long as you are fully in touch with it, you would always be creating authentic powerful art that affects the viewer emotionally. Also, don’t wait to be inspired, just start painting, and inspiration will follow.

The hardships I’ve encountered have taught me important lessons and I see them as opportunities for self-improvement instead of obstacles. I learned that persistence in following your goals brings great results. I also learned that enjoying the journey, loving what you do, and being true to yourself are keys to success. We all compromise for various reasons, but that could eventually lead us to being dissatisfied with our lives. Keeping your passions alive and pursuing them is essential to having a meaningful life. I’ve also learned that nothing can replace a loving family, so my children have become a consistent joy and inspiration for me.

Contact Info:

• Email: lyudmilatomova@gmail.com
• Website: https://tomovafineart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamartgirl/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyudmila.lucy
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/lyudmilatomova
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/LyudmilaTomova