Ukrainian painter Evgeni Gordiets was trained at the National School of Fine Arts, State University of Fine Arts and the State Academy of Fine Art, all in Kiev, Ukraine.

You will sometimes hear his paintings referred to as “sunny” or “serene” Surrealism. Though I doubt that Gordiets adheres to the actual tenants of the original Surrealists, his work does show their influence, but without the intention to shock or disturb. Instead, he offers a contemplative twist on reality, painted in a bright, detailed manner.

His work suggests a confluence of Magritte and Eyvind Earle, with a touch of Arnold Böcklin thrown infor good measure. You will also find brushes with pointillism and, as you go back in time, more straightforward landscapes and still life, rendered with a similar approach.

Gordiets compositions often follow similar themes, with foreground gardens or rocky outcrops set against an expanse of water and distant, sun bleached cliffs. They evoke a stillness and sense of timelessness, a feeling accentuated by a technique that carries hints of Renaissance landscape, though with a much lighter palette (see my posts on Jean Fouquet and Giovanni Bellini).

His palette is often light in value but muted in color intensity; at other times the colors are preternaturally brilliant and outside the range of nature’s normal colorations; including trees with blue or purple crowns.

I can’t find an official site for the artist, but he is represented by several galleries. [Correction: there is an official site, it just didn’t show up in my initial search. I didn’t think to simply look for the artist’s name as the domain. Here is the official site: http://evgenigordiets.com, and the gallery page: http://evgenigordiets.com/art.html]