About
My artwork is about the little things in life evoking a feeling of soft flow and calm. I use both representation & abstraction to achieve emotional energy. I am inspired by music & poetry. It keeps me in the flow. It helps me stay focused on what is important in my LIFE. In my artwork I do not try to tell a story or force a meaning - it has to emerge, unfold & be discovered. Painting for me is a continual process of searching and evaluating, and the truths I find today may not be my truths tomorrow & that is part of my Journey as an artist…….
Varya Mcmillan is an abstract impressionist painter based in Northern California.
She has exhibited her Artwork in solo & group shows in Europe & USA in cities like - Paris, Vienna, Budapest , Luxembourg, Sofia, San-Francisco, Sacramento, Sonoma, Los Altos among others.
Movement, energy & the use of vibrant colors are essential components in her paintings.
EDUCATION
McMillan received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the Art Academy of Sofia, Bulgaria, where she majored in Stage and Costume Design.
After being awarded a scholarship to the International City of Arts, she spent two years in Paris, France. This two year period was seminal in Varya's artistic development.
In Paris she encountered and collaborated with artists and musicians from all over the world, expanding her artistic horizon even further. She also encountered the original works of Matisse, Picasso, Cézanne, Klee, Hundertwasser and Rodin. The abstract and impressionistic approach of these artists resonated strongly with her. During this period her own artwork was included in a major group show of contemporary Bulgarian artists at the Grand Palaise in Paris, France.
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Wittgenstein Art Center, Vienna, Austria
National Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
Municipal Art Museum, Sofia, B-a
Museum of Modern Art, Dobrich, B-a
Theater “Sofia”, Sofia, B-a
Board of “ Education and Culture “, Sofia, B-a
International Endowment “Peace and Art”, Sofia, B-a
- Public Library, Sofia, B-a