Show all images on one page	#001349 Title: Girl with a mountain ash branch Artist: Soboleva Tamara Size: 8x6,5x3,5 Size (inches): 3x2,5x1,5 Price : $375 SOLD!

This portrait of a girl was painted by T. Soboleva. The girl is dressed in the traditional Russian costume. She holds a branch of mountain ash and a basket. Behind her extends the countryside. It is late fall. Hay is stacked. Leaves on the trees and the grass here and there has turned yellow. Fruits and berries have ripened. The girl has been strolling in the forest for a long time and had time to pick the full basket of ripe berries.
The artist uses diverse color palette to show beauty and youth of the girl and elegance of the depicted season. Aluminum powder is mixed with oils to intensify brightness of colors and to create the brilliance of golden foliage and haystacks and green grass in the sun. Aluminum powder is also used to decorate the girl's costume.
The artist makes fine use of the overlay method of application. By painting a specific area of the composition, lightly lacquering over it and then painting several more areas of the scene; the artist develops texture and three dimensional features throughout. We see this in the girl's figure and the branch of mountain ash and the basket in her hands. A brilliant effect.
The scene is framed with a wide gold line, whereas the sides of the box are elegantly decorated with golden threads. For additional decoration the black lacquer of the box's sides and its base is mixed with blue spangles.
The box is constructed from quality paper-mache made in the village of Fedoskino. The interior of the box is covered with red lacquer, the box's exterior is covered with black lacquer. A hinge is fastened to the left of the lid. The box rests flat without feet. It is signed and dated (2004) by the artist.