St. Armands artist shares insight into thought-provoking art

Most people would envision a sunny beach scene framed by palm trees when told to picture a water-based art piece created by a Florida painter. But Darina Bratkova found her unique style heading in a different direction.

Bratkova was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine. She got a master's degree in art at the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts and moved to the United States about three years ago. Seeking to put her skills to use, she found the opportunity to pursue her passion for art and became a featured artist at Art on St. Armands, A Procaccini Gallery.

She and her family moved to Boca Raton. She started out working in a nearby art gallery, initially as an embellisher adding texture to an already designed print base.

While working in the studio, she began exploring her own art style in greater depth. She began to find beauty in the broodiness of a captainless wooden boat on calm waters, set against a dark, foggy sky.

Photo by Dana Kampa

Painting these scenes became somewhat therapeutic, offering her a chance to sit with the feelings surrounding her journey from Ukraine while war raged in the country where many friends and family remained.

"It was the hardest decision of my life," she said, explaining that her family ultimately made the best choice possible to protect her children's safety.

It was a tumultuous time in her life when she moved from Moldova to Germany to Canada and finally to the United States over the course of a year. Her family moved to Miami when her husband got a job offer to work as a jeweler.

They were glad to find a more permanent home for their two daughters, now ages 9 and 13, so they could assemble a clearer picture of the future.

"When you face life's circumstances, you just have to decide," she said.

Bratkova said she finds that viewers tap into that contemplative headspace when examining her artwork.

Photo by Dana Kampa

With titles like "Beyond the Calmness" and "Silent Reflections," her pieces invite that sort of quiet reverie.

"It touches your soul," she said. "It's deep, and sometimes even painful."

Her water-based pieces end up melding her personal style with shoppers' taste.

But her pieces aren't solely focused on moroseness. They also exemplify the beauty of nature out on the sea, where all manner of blue, teal and cream colors unite to form one body of water. Her larger pieces can span 70 inches, and the scale gives viewers space to get lost in the waves.

"I found this connection between the ocean and my life circumstances," she added. "Things change suddenly."

While there is no controlling the wind and water, a person can still steer the boat, she explained.

From early in her career, she favored realism. Her preferred medium is acrylic paint with a heavy gel that allows her to work in different textures for the flowing water and billowing fog, with techniques more often seen in watercolors.

She said it can take 10 hours for her to complete a larger piece, and often when she starts, there is no stopping until it's done.

Bratkova said she has enjoyed working in the galleries and getting to connect with art enthusiasts.

"I'm so grateful to Michael Procaccini, the owner," she said. "He gave me this freedom to create whatever I want. But he also guided me."

She explores plenty of other subjects beyond her signature boat scenes, including European cobblestone streets bathed in afternoon sunlight, floral close-ups, and wildlife, like Florida's iconic flamingos.

Looking to the future, Bratkova said she hopes to put her experience as an art teacher to use upon opening her own art school.

"I have so many plans," she said.