Congratulations to G. Grayson who placed the winning bid of $2,500 for February's silent auction painting "Spring, Last Ice on the River" by Aleksander P. Sukhov, estimated at $4,000 to $5,000.

For our March silent auction choice, we are pleased to present a beautiful spring landscape, "Apple Tree", by Vladimir V. Filippov, estimated at $3,500-$4,500. Vladimir is one of Russia's most talented up-and-coming artists, and one of the Gallery's favorite painters. He has grown to be one of the most honored landscape artists painting in Russia today.

Filippov was trained, and lives in the renowned Russian art village "Akademicheskaya Dacha" or Academic Dacha, halfway between Moscow and St Petersburg. For more than 130 years, this village has been almost a sacred place for Russian artists. Filippov was introduced to theMcCarthey Gallery by the master painter Yuri Kugach (recently deceased at age 97), who was named as one of the top 10 artists of Russia in the twentieth century. Under this tutelage, Vladimir has become a respected and sought after Russian artist.

Vladimir V. Filippov, "Apple Tree"
19" x 16", 2009, Oil on Board, Framed
Estimate $3,500- $4,500, Current Bid $2,000, W. Schlax

Filippov captures the native Russian countryside with a vivid intimacy that can be captured only by people who love and live close to the land. The contrasts and vividness of colors in "Apple Tree" shows Filippov's high level of skill and his natural talent of representing the Russian countryside. The shadows and mood in this work accentuate the wonder of this painting. This painting would make an excellent addition to any collection or as a great painting to start your collection.

We are thrilled to offer this opportunity to our Gallery clients to add this beautiful painting to their collection. We invite you to participate in this month's auction and thank everyone who placed bids last month.

Estimated at $3,500 to $4,500, the current high bid is just $2,000. The next bid is $2,250, followed by minimum bidding increments of $250. Remember, there is no reserve, at the end of the auction the high bid wins!

Bids will be taken via telephone, fax, or e-mail until 7:00 pm MST, Friday March 31st . Follow all the bidding updates on the Gallery's web site.

Tel: 801-755-7072
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Please e-mail bids only to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and make sure your receive confirmation of your bid. Note that you may place a maximum bid and the Gallery will bid on your behalf up to your maximum. By placing a maximum bid you will be assured you are not out bid at the last minute.

 BID FORM

The Artist-
Vladimir Viktorovich Filippov, b. 1956

Russia has a long tradition of the great master painters giving apprenticeship to the best of the next generation thereby keeping the venerated Russian tradition of realism alive. That is the case between the legendary Russian master painter Yuri Petrovich Kugach and his student, Vladimir Viktorovich Filippov. They lived and worked in the legendary artistic community of Academic Dacha.

About half way between Moscow and St. Petersburg close to Tver, is the small village of "Akademichka" (or in English, "Academic Dacha"). It is about 10 kilometers off the main road, nestled in the Russian forest and graced by the shimmering Lake Mistino. The village has been the spiritual heart of Russian art since the village was founded in 1884. It has been the seasonal home of many of the great Russian artists over the last century and a half. The Academic Dacha initially served as a country refuge for impoverished or ailing artists from the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Overtime, the area increasingly became a favorite with students and professors who came to paint landscapes in the open air. The setting so appealed to artists, that many spent the greater part of their lives there, purchasing small country homes (dachas) nearby. From Repin to Levitan to Kugach and countless other greats, this small village has been painted more and has inspired more great art than any other place in Russia.

Even today, in this idyllic setting, many great artists still call Academic Dacha home. The place has been the residence of Yuri Petrovich Kugach (who recently passed at the age of 96) since 1951. Over the years, Yuri Petrovich was a generous mentor to several promising artists. Kugach, who was named one of 'Russia's top twenty artists of the twenty first century' introduced us to one of his students in 2011, Vladimir Filippov. Yuri Petrovich told us that Vladimir was his finest student ever. Kugach told us that Filippov's soul was imbued with Russia's nature. He said that "while you can teach technique, color and composition---an artist's ability to 'feel' the land is unteachable." Kugach said that the instinct of greatness is genetic and that Filippov has that very rare natural talent.

The Master
Yuri Petrovich Kugach

Yuri Kugach is one of the premier 20th century Russian Realist painters. He is known in Russia and around the world for his paintings of the Russian countryside and his amazing skill of depicting space, form and feeling in his paintings. He received the USSR's highest honors for his work, taught at the renowned Surikov Institute of Art in Moscow, and founded the Moscow River School.

Yuri Kugachs' talents were considered so valuable that, during World War Two, the Soviet government evacuated him and ten other artists to Uzbekistan to escape the Nazi onslaught.

In 1951 Yuri moved to the Tver region-renowned for its scenic countryside-to instruct at the House of Artists of Russia. Themes of nature and village life are a powerful and unifying principle in much Russian art. As avant-garde art began to rise in the estimation of critics, it too helped preserve the realist tradition.

Vladimir V. Filippov Detail of "Apple Tree"

Vladimir V. Filippov was born in 1956 in Vyshniy Volochek. He spent his childhood in Novoye Kotchische Village, where such famous artists as brothers Sergei & Aleksei Tkachev lived. It was also not far from the Academic Dacha named after the great painter Ilya E. Repin. The Academic Dacha is a well-known Art Academy and artist community in Russia, and that creative atmosphere had a great influence on young Vladimir's creative future. Filippov spent long hours visiting artists in their studios, and admiring great artists and their paintings. Since childhood Vladimir's dream was to become a great artist.

But at the beginning, Vladimir's way of life was sidetracked from art. Having graduated from the Railway Collage, he enrolled in the Soviet Army. After his demobilization, he entered the Agricultural Academy. However, he never abandoned his dream to become an artist. Vladimir painted his first water-colored still life from nature in the studio of Nikolai A. Sysoev, who was an honored artist of the Soviet Union. He painted with great vigor under Sysoev's direction. Later on in 1970, he became acquainted with Peter I. Strakhov and Peter's wife Lia A. Ostrovaya, who were famous artists in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Peter Straknov made great contributions and progress in Vladimir's creative development. Since 1970, Vladimir Filippov has devoted his life to painting full time. He has been an enduring participant of all the local and regional exhibitions since 1980.

Since 1990, Filippov has trained and worked under the Russian Realist masters Yuri P. Kugach (senior) and his son Mikhail Y. Kugach, who is now head of the Kugach Studio and a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts. Also, Vladimir has painted in the company of such wonderful artists as Grigory Chainikov and Andrei Zakharov. These artists and close friends have played an important role in Vladimir's development as an artist. Filippov is one of the few artists continuing the great tradition of Russian Realistic Art.

Vladimir Filippov has been a member of the Union of Russian Artists since 2003. His paintings are exhibited in the Museums of Mogilev and Bobruisk (Republic of Byelorussia), in the Museum of Harbin (China), in many private art collections in Russia, Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Romania, Finland, Germany, China, and the USA.

Vladimir works with the Moskvorechie Creative Association.

Vladimir V. Filippov participated in the following exhibitions:

1991 ??V Regional Fine Arts Exhibition "I Love this Land".
1994 Autumn Exhibition of Artists in the Town of Tver.
1996 ??VIII Zonal Fine Arts Exhibition "I Love this Land".
1998 Regional Exhibition in Tver.
1999 Regional Exhibition "The People's Love for Pushkin" devoted to 200-year of
Pushkin's birthday.
2001 Personal Exhibition in Vyshniy Volochek.
2001 Town's Exhibition "The Summer Opening Day" in Vyshniy Volochek.
2005 The "Connection of Time" Exhibition in Mogilev, Byelorussia. He participated there with such famous artists as Yuri P. Kugach and M. Kugach.
2006 The "Modern Art of Russia" Exhibition in Moscow.
2007 The Exhibition in Vyshniy Volochek with Kugach's dynasty and B. Petrenko.
2008 The Exhibition of the Moskvorechie Creative Association in Moscow.
2009 The All-Russian Exhibition in Moscow.
2009 The Anniversary Exhibition of the Russian Painters' Union in Tver.
2010 The Exhibition of the Moskvorechie Creative Association in Moscow.
2010 The Exhibition of the Moskvorechie Creative Association in Velikiy Novgorod.
2011 The Exhibition of the Moskvorechie Creative Association in Moscow.
2011 The Exhibition of the Moskvorechie Creative Association in Central Palace of Artists in Moscow.
2011 Introduction to the United States Show, Thomas K. McCarthey Gallery, Park City, Utah - USA

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