Added Jul 15, 2025
at the top of Elbrus
I’ve just come back from an unforgettable plein air expedition in the Caucasus Mountains. During this journey, I created many new, vibrant, and soulful landscape paintings — each infused with the breath of the highlands.
But now I can share something I hadn’t spoken about before.
A dream. A bold and powerful one.
You see, I didn’t just go to the Caucasus to paint. I set out to climb to the summit of Mount Elbrus, and — if weather, timing, health, and countless other factors allowed — to try and paint directly from life at the top.
I wasn’t sure it would be possible. I considered every scenario: What if I had no strength left but still made it to the top? Then maybe I’d just open a canvas and, with a brush or even a hand, leave a few abstract gestures — something raw and alive, a mark of emotion from the summit itself.
But the mountain welcomed me.
And on July 6th, 2025, I reached the summit of Elbrus with surprising ease and joy, full of energy and light.
And there — almost at the very top — I painted two plein air works.
It was a moment of strength, clarity, trust, gratitude, and reverence.
It was about joy, focus, and the sacred dialogue between the human spirit and the mountain.
Very soon, you’ll see these new artworks from the Caucasus appear in my gallery — including those two special paintings created at nearly 5642 meters, just below the summit of Elbrus.
I’ll be keeping the original paintings in my personal collection, but prints will be available — as symbols of faith, inner resilience, and the quiet strength that helps us move forward.
Because any summit — even the highest — always begins within.