Hydromancy

: the art of using water as a divination method.

While leaves are dropping in full color in my part of the world, and the filtered light of the cloudy sky renders this sight a peculiar vibrance, I find myself thinking with gratitude for you all who at some point have journeyed with these pages, or continue to do so. 

I wish that you all are able to gift yourself a moment in your day - today - to look through the window, at a stranger, a dog or just look in the bathroom mirror, and not counting the splashes of toothpaste but to take a deep breath of appreciation for the transient beauty of a small thing. Breathe it out. 

It has been long overdue to drop a few lines with highlights from the other side of my silent perimeter which has been no more than a safety blanket, for one profoundly engaged year in production design work.

The year begins with a long awaited move into my own studio space at Ballardworks . Check out the link for all the awesome artists I break bread with.

January 6th, 2023. The Eastern Orthodox peoples celebrate Epiphany or how we call it in Bulgaria Voditsi (Waters). As most traditions in the old country, Voditsi is a mix between Christian and pagan customs, with some modern additions like men jumping in the ice cold rivers to find the cross thrown by the priest as miraculous healing would reach the lucky diver. Meanwhile, somewhere at Ballardworks, a pipe bursts and baptizes my freshly groomed workspace with four inches of water. Being summoned in the early hours of the night, I discover my sculptures guarding the banks of the Jordan river.

With that beginning, I’m ready to take the year like a duck to water! I indulge into the seclusion of my recently bathed creative sanctuary, undisturbed by the irresistible stare of the dishwasher, the nagging dreads of dog hair winking from under the wall trim, and all those house projects that make their immediate appearance in the quiet moments of contemplation preceding any kind of creative work.

In a collaboration with the Seattle based architect and a dear fellow creative Diana Wellenbrink from Diagonald, I cruise through the commission piece Mapping Magnolia - a mixed media on a custom cut maple board from Artboards. In my next post, I will share all about this exciting exploration in print, experimenting with acrylic ink and salt water, soufflage, decalomania, tideline and blotting.

As I wrap this exciting piece and a short production design appearance for Fortive Corporation commercial, the pouring spring rain comes down with offers for more film work. It turns out that I would be swimming upstream in deep waters, in a rather steep line of collaborative projects. Upon accepting, I find myself working between two opposite time zones while spending the summer abroad to complete the first part of a Bulgarian feature film - Don’t close your eyes - still in the making. There will be more to come on this project, as I’m getting ready to go back for the second segment of filming in late November.

Immediately upon my return in mid September, a full length documentary is born in the small and big hours of the Seattle fall:

SPOKE - The incredible story of firefighter Rudy is currently in the post production room. 

Meanwhile, I become a poster machine:

SPOKE - The incredible story of firefighter Rudy Pospisil (2024) is set to redefine the term documentary.

Next on the line is the short film harmonia: (2013 - 2023) - a cinematographic masterpiece, directed by Bogdan Darev and shot by Mathew Skala, which finally makes its final round out of post production to be released in the world.

Embers (2022) - a short film by Ben Jonson tours 67 festivals and wins 10 film awards.

In the following weeks you will be reading about…

Insights from the process of Mapping magnolia.

Releasing the pages from the project Pluto my love which has been in the making for several years now.

On set - the making of a movie scene.