Artist Anastasia Trusova uses bright acrylics to create colorful, nature-inspired impasto paintings that look like something from a dream. From rolling hills and meadows to winding rivers and serene lakes, each psychedelic scene offers a modern twist on classic impressionist paintings, reminiscent of the works of Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.
Trusova grew up in a small town in Russia, where she remembers the simplicity of rural life. “We didn’t have much, like everyone else back then,” she recalls, “but we were surrounded by abundant nature—forests, lakes, and swamps.”
Her passion for art began in childhood, leading her to study design at university. After graduating, Trusova spent eight years in China working as a shoe designer. Eventually, she moved to Belgium to join her husband. Now a mother of three, Trusova is fully dedicated to her painting practice, having developed a unique style she calls “textured graphic impressionism.”
By applying layers of thickly applied acrylic paint to her canvas, Trusova is able to capture nature’s abundant textures. She says, “I want to show the variability of nature, the beauty of the moment, as I see it.” Flowers and leaves are brought to life with thick daubs of pigment, while swirling clouds are formed by skillfully swiping paint across the canvas with a textured scraping tool.
Trusova seeks to capture and preserve her childhood memories of rural life in her art, hoping that future generations will also come to appreciate the beauty of nature through her work.
“Watching young people leave for big cities in search of opportunities, leaving behind quiet streets and abandoned homes, is a sad reality of our time,” she writes on Instagram. “When I return to these familiar places, now as a parent with my children, I feel a strange mix of joy and sadness. Joy from the memories of my childhood spent here, and sadness from the realization that my children will likely never experience this.”
The artist continues, “This painting is an attempt to preserve those memories and pass them on to the next generation. May they remember their roots, even if their lives are far from these places.”