I present to you my elegant artistic space, which combines my working art studio with a corner for clients and finished oil works, available for purchase.

Here, over a cup of aromatic coffee, you can purchase original oil paintings, as well as gift vouchers of various designs.

You will also have the opportunity to take a peek at “where the magic is made” and view started canvases in progress – they can be requested in advance, even before they are completely ready and before they are published on the website and on social media.

Continue reading Acrista Art Studio + Clients Area at Acrista Cafe.

I strongly believe, that the right people and resources find you at the right moment for you, and I really appreciate this synchronicity of the universe :o). Therefore, I am not surprised that it is while I am preparing for my exhibition that I came across the first video about Rick Rubin and his ideas about the creative process.

Rick Rubin is a record producer, who, over the years has worked with musicians such as Adele, Eminem, The Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chilly Peppers, Slayer, Metallica, Johny Cash and has won more than one Grammy award. Being an interesting character, his approach to creation is also extremely unusual, but infinitely effective and close to the world of the creator.

Continue reading Rick Rubin and his book “The Creative Act” at Acrista Cafe.

Acrista Art Calendar 2024 is now in pre-sale! It turned out to be a real little art jewel, as it was intended.

As I have mentioned more than once, producing a quality elegant product is not an easy task. That’s why we create calendars with my paintings every few years :).

This time we started already in July with work on the concept, the selection of paintings, the choice of the font for the calendar and on the design, we continued in August with the selection of paper and creating a sample, for a visualisation of how the calendar will look, in September we received offers from printing houses and discussed what kind of packaging we can use… and here we are, it’s almost the end of October and we’re getting ready to go to press, and then it’ll be time to send out and bring joy.

Continue reading Acrista Art Calendar 2024 is now available at Acrista Cafe.

“The thing we label as talent is not a single ability. It is a complex mixture of motive, curiosity, receptivity, intelligence, sensitivity, good teaching, perseverance, timing, sheer luck, and countless other things.”

“Serious painting is not something that can be learned casually. You must be willing to sacrifice many other things.”

“I regard my disasters as invitations to learn more.”

“Art happens in the mind of the person seeing them.”

“Don’t reject difficult ideas simply because you fail to grasp them immediately. Put them on hold until you do, then decide.

Continue reading Quotes from “Alla Prima”, Richard Schmid at Acrista Cafe.

After I discovered the minimalism as my (desired) way of living, it was just a matter of time to come across the other closely related philosophy: the essentialism. Greg McKeown as its main ideologist shares details in a great deal of interviews and with great sense of humor, but I liked the presentation below, because I find it interesting how you can apply essentialism not only as a person, but as a professional and a company, too.

Some of the ideas:

The disciplined pursuit of less but better

• every 90 days: what is important to me?

Continue reading Essentialism at Acrista Cafe.

Two of the surprises for this year’s birthday were a fun contrast: the first one was a Pocketbook (I have officially joined the e-readers) and the other was two incredible poetry books that captivated me both in content and in polygraphy.

If I were to describe Atticus’ style (which, like Banksy, expresses themselves solely through their art, without sharing their identity), perhaps “modern haiku” would come very close to my sensations, though not all of the poems are short. As for the books – this is how I imagine books must look today in order to want to own them on paper in this digital age: a masterly piece of work, with attention to detail, varied and original design, flawless quality and so tactile I wish to go through their pages again and again.

Continue reading Atticus’ poetry at Acrista Cafe.

I had long been waiting for a good drama with a love thread and I was so happy that this one didn’t disappoint me… neither as acting and persuasiveness, neither as approach and credibility nor as ending. There was nothing superfluous, nothing cheesy. Even the love triangle cliche was masterfully intertwined with the unusual circumstances of the post-war background.

Well, I don’t have to tell you, that even if this movie turned out to be bad, Alexander Skarsgard would be an excellent reason to stay put in front of the screen. this Swedish semi-god is outrageously attractive, even when speaking in German… but let’s not get carried away

“The Aftermath”is based on Rhidian Brook’s novel of the same name (published in Bulgaria) and with the wonderful music by Martin Phipps.

Continue reading “The Aftermath” at Acrista Cafe.

What an inspiration!

A beautiful music to play while working on my canvases…

Continue reading Norwegian artist Mari Samuelson at Acrista Cafe.

When being in a not-particularly-productive-period, it’s always a little miracle to come across with such a personal, inspiring, meaningful and empowering interview. Thank you, Marie.

*photo image is a video still, copyright belongs to its rightful owners

Continue reading “Dream, Girl” talks to Marie Forleo at Acrista Cafe.

Killing Eve – this TV show was not even in my watchlist, but I decided to give it a chance and… it’s brilliant! So refreshing and dynamic, on the verge of drama and humor, I really loved it. Now waiting impatiently for the whole second season to come out.

Fargo –  so many stupid, but surviving people in one place – it’s amazing! The first season is my favorite with the brilliant Martin Freeman.

Victoria – another TV show about a British Queen after “The Queen”, but they are so well done, I cannot resist them.

Continue reading March movies selection at Acrista Cafe.

For the generation that is not familiar with the Rocky Balboa sequence, Creed II might be a bit old-school, but it has enough drama with the typical story of the crushed hero who resurrects stronger in order to face fears, enemies and mostly – himself.

For me, Creed II is a remake of Rocky IV made with respect and my sympathies towards Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester are strongly backed-up by the cool soundtrack which is the equivalent of the legendary Eye of the Tiger.

My discovery amidst this sound explosion is the Nigerian-born Brit Jacob Banks whose voice really spoke to me.

Continue reading Creed II at Acrista Cafe.

For me, books have been an especially satiating pleasure since my childhood. Thus I have a ritual for almost every birthday – I gift myself so many books I barely manage to take home. however, lately on several occasions I discovered that I didn’t feel the familiar wild enthusiasm for books and I am struggling to choose even one I want to by.

Whether this is a function of information overload, my filter is getting narrower, the overwhelming abundance on the bookshelves rebuffs me from the onset… I don’t know…

But I do know that when something truly amazing comes up, the delight is absolute.

Continue reading “La part de l’autre” by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt at Acrista Cafe.

I set apart this movie from the February movie mix on purpose. Not only because it is European production, but also because it moved me exceptionally.

I admit I knew almost nothing about Astrid Lindgren, although I grew up with Pippy Longstocking, The Brothers Lionheart, Karlson, Ronia the Robber’s Daughterand Emil of Lonneberga. After watching the movie, I saw the rich context explaining why things were the way they were in my favorite childhood books…

the young Astrid (Unga Astrid– the original title of the movie) was overflowing with energy, light and life, but she was “lucky” to be born in a small Swedish town, among manners narrowly bound by religious rules, which did not allow for any frivolity, spontaneityand equality.

Continue reading “Becoming Astrid” at Acrista Cafe.

Bohemian Rhapsody: I am not one of the devoted fans of Queen who compare the movie scene by scene with documentary footage from concerts and interviews. For me the move is exceptionally well made, and the role of Rami Malek is inhumanely difficult and perfectly played given the vast admiration for Freddie Mercury. In the interviews from the movie release interesting facts ‘from the kitchen’ came up, for example, that the first shot scene was the Live Aid concert (!), the work with movement couch, details on make-up and costumes. I would watch it for the second time, so I am looking forward to the 5-hours directors cut.

Continue reading February movie mix at Acrista Cafe.

Challenging to watch, but a must see anyway. About addiction as an all-consuming and devastating black hole. About struggle which is unbearable, ugly and inhumane. About shame, anger and despair. about boundaries, patience and the endlessly stretching matter called love…

And, overall, about the hell of addiction…

I am so glad Steve Carell did not stay in the clich? Of the comedy, but unfolds his talent in the drama. And what can I say about Timothee Chalamet except – this boy is so talented and speaks so meaningfully and mature during his interviews, I cannot wait to see his future projects.

Continue reading “Beautiful Boy” at Acrista Cafe.

iInstead of drawing up a balance-sheet for the past months, I decided that the last post for this year would be something beautiful and inspiring. For me these pieces of beauty that suddenly find me through the unimaginable online information noise are magical and contemplative and are a true creative engine.

Years ago Yann Arthus-Bertrand enspelled us with his bird’s eye view shots. then I wrote about his Home. And now Human found me. pieces from the puzzle called Humanity – total and amazing in its diversity, but also in its uniformity.

(Turn on the video subtitles (CC) so you can see the name of the person who shared it as well as the places where the bird’s eye view shots were taken.)

*photo copyright belongs to its rightful owner

Continue reading Human at Acrista Cafe.

The more the consumer hysteria and information cacophony around me grow, the more I am interested in the minimalism as a way of life. I recently added the youtube channel of Matt D’Avella and started to return to the ideas of drastic clearing and releasing everything (and I mean everything) unnecessary. This concept has been close to my heart for years. I am one of those OCDs who regularly throw out and rearrange, otherwise I would not be able to function normally.

I am a fan of minimalism in architecture, interior, fashion and things in the wardrobe, devices and relationships.

Continue reading Minimalism at Acrista Cafe.

Christopher Robin: how good it would be if when we become too serious in our lives, when we forget what it was like to be a child, for our childhood friends to come and sometimes playing, sometimes sharing wisdom, to remind us the really important things… like “Today is my favorite day” or “Doing nothing always leads to the best of something”. Evoking warmth and smiles, with wonderful music.

Mindhunter s.01: the dawn of profiling in the FBI… Endless curiosity and thinking outside the box always lead to changes and growth. And the contact with the most sinister psychopaths… leads to unexpected turns in the viewpoint.

Continue reading November movie mix at Acrista Cafe.

I have one word for this movie: PASSION.
In all its forms and manifestations.

I have probably watched the version with Barbara Streisand. Honestly, I don’t remember it.
Bradley Cooper’s version is bold, honest, real, powerful. I will remember it for certain.

Lady Gaga (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, probably a few people know her real name) is the living proof of the layers you need to peel and peel until you reach the real thing, the essence of the talent…

The chemistry between them is palpable. Before I watched the movie I was puzzled by the way he looked at her during the interviews.

Continue reading “A Star is Born” at Acrista Cafe.

Last year, for the first edition of Women.Speak.Live., Aneta Savova invited me to be one of the presenters and I spontaneously said ‘yes’. But then some personal stories unfolded, had travels abroad for medical examinations, so I had to cancel my participation. This year Ani invited me for a second time and I couldn’t say ‘no’ to her. To be honest, both times my stomach clenched – reactions like ‘what will I say to these kind people there’ and similar inner barriers. But apparently I had reached a stage where I absolutely realized I needed to go out of my comfort zone thus I stamped my foot and I told myself that this was the purpose of such forums: to share how you go beyond yourself, how you grow, how you act despite the fear…

The event passed by.

Continue reading Women.Speak.Live 2018 conference at Acrista Cafe.

I started reading Aneta Savova’s book on a sunny November Sunday, immediately after Women.Speak.Live Forum where I had bought it.

With cup of hot coffee in my hand and background of fragrance of apple cake with cinnamon I had just put into the oven. From the first pages I was enveloped by a feeling of peacefulness and authenticity which (I know as a person who had been writing for years) comes when you express yourself in written words and share your personal story… The way we communicate today due to the constant rushing, the huge amounts of information for processing and discussing almost doesn’t allow us to go below the surface – into the deep (where I usually find it most interesting), thus the written pages are like a gift through which I get in touch with unknown sides and experiences of the person who writes.

Continue reading “The Woman I Created” at Acrista Cafe.

Long since I haven’t experienced such deep delight in the combination of magnificent acting, intense dialogue, almost theatrical atmosphere, beautiful music and devastatingly suppressed emotions which sweep the luster of a comfortable facade. Glenn Close shines with all her power and Jonathan Pryceis a worthily match. The result – a powerful and raising questions movie. based on Meg Wolitzer’s novel.

Continue reading “The Wife” at Acrista Cafe.

I came across a presentation of Helen Russel a couple of years ago while I was browsing in youtube about the life in Scandinavia. She is a British journalist who moved for a year in Denmark after her husband received an offer at Lego. Thus her first book is born: The Year of Living Danishly.

I have suspected for a long time that my husband a I have something Scandinavian (minimalism, aesthetics, love for a simple and modern design, respect of the aesthetics in the public environment too, which unfortunately is a lost cause in Bulgaria, instinctive attainment of the now popular hygga – the home-made coziness with several candles and a warm blanket), thus, with great joy, I found out that The Year of Living Danishly was published in Bulgaria.

Continue reading “The Year of Living Danishly” at Acrista Cafe.

I knew that the second season of Genius would be inspiration, contemplation and very much needed context, as if a long time ago you had started putting together a puzzle of somebody’s live, but you missed pieces and reasons.

A few things keep resonating in me after the ten episodes for this extraordinary, whimsical, driven innovator which some would call a prick, a rake, an egoist and they might be right depending on their viewpoint:

• his purposefulness and outright refusal to compromise
• his fierce desire to surpass a colleague by whom he felt awed (Matisse) and thus to surpass himself
• his hectic search for the new, the different, the radical
• using women as source of love energy, mystery, inspiration that incessantly keep him “hungry” for life
• his unconditional rejection of any rules
• placing art before and above all (which is a condition for greatness as long as one is ready to pay the price)

Continue reading “Genius: Picasso” at Acrista Cafe.

Photos found on Mahabis Facebook Page – copyright belongs to the rightful owners.

For a while I’ve been developing my Instagram profile and while spending all that time there, my attention got on an ad of Mahabis. And well… love in first sight! Seeing no more than few pictures I knew: I want them! And I got them as a Christmas gift, they were immediately put on and there is no force on earth that can make me take them off now.

The company is based in London, the production is in Portugal. And since we are suspicious towards materials glorifying a product (might be paid, right ;)), let me specify, this post is only inspired by my genuine awe, one of a completely satisfied customer, and my will to share the pleasure of using a high-quality and somewhat futuristic product.

Continue reading I present to you: Mahabis at Acrista Cafe.

As you may have guessed behind this logo stands a very feminine team: I present to you Eti, Tzveti and Poli, who a few years ago combined their efforts in order to create hand-crafted and painted beauties. I have known them for a long time and I think they have always been passionate about beauty, thus I am deluged to see how the idea for creating and developing their own brand gradually came into fruition.

Each of the Freerias has specialized in a different area: Eti makes the bags and does the products’ photos, Tzveti creates jewellery and manages the website, Poli receives the orders for paintings and creates them with inspiration and finesse.

Continue reading I present to you: Freeria at Acrista Cafe.

two great talks.

Continue reading Brene Brown on TED at Acrista Cafe.

I doubt there is a better choice for the role of the growling and eccentric Turner than Timothy Spall (I’m not sure why he was not nominated for this role), who brilliantly plays his blunt and at times unrefined character carrying pencil and sketchbook everywhere to gather ideas.

Continue reading “Mr. Turner” at Acrista Cafe.

photo source

I have been following the articles of brainpickings.org for a while now and a few days ago, while going through the saved-for-later stuff, I found a true treasure: the speech of Teresita Fernandez, a New York based artist, at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts.

Very few things manage to impress me lately – maybe because of the immense amount of information around us, offering too little meaningful content, but the words of Teresita touched me, and inspired me, and are a source of true wisdom, not only for artists, but for any human being.

Continue reading Teresita Fernandez Commencement Speech at Acrista Cafe.