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    In direct contrast to her quiet demeanor and unassuming profile is her art.  Bold, dramatic and vibrant are the colors that leap and work at grabbing the onlooker, as if to pull one directly into the image on the canvas.
    This is Russian-born artist Liudmila Kondakova.  Born in 1956 in Moscow and raised throughout the era of the Soviet Union, her paintings reflect both her Russian upbringing and her obvious enjoyment and enlightenment at experiencing other nations.
    Kondakova received formal instruction at Moscow's Grabar Center, Russia's School of Sacred Arts, the Moscow Pedagogical Institute, and the Moscow Art Institute.  While her various studies honed her palette, Kondakova said that even as a small child, art was a fascination for her.
    "I have always loved art, and great artists," Kondakova said.  "Even when I was growing up in Russia, I always had an independent nature, and was inwardly driven to express myself through art.  I particularly was interested in how famous artists worked, how they achieved their goals within their artwork, and what prompted them to express themselves."
 

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     Kondakova received intense instruction as an apprentice under monastic icon painters in Moscow, and the attention to detail which these painters demand is apparent in her portraits of Parisian streets and Venetian venues.
    "I actually never set out or calculated about pushing myself in this direction,"  Kondakova explained.  "It just kind of happened.  When I first was coming to the United States, I stayed in France and just fell in love with Paris."
    Paris has been the main focus of Kondakova's work since she immigrated to the United States in 1991.   "To me, these (Paris) streets, cobblestones and aged buildings evoke a sense of nostalgia and romance with a touch of melancholy.  It is the ideal kind of space in which I would like to live. In my art, the essence and beauty always rest in the details."
    The details are where Kondakova excels.  One can look at a Kondakova vision of a Paris night or morning-step away and return moments later---only to find something in the painting which was missed before.  That is what is so intrinsically intense and stimulating about Kondakova's work; her ability to draw you into her portrait, make you comfortable, and then-just when you think you have seen everything-your eyes are caught by a previously unnoticed figure, icon or street sign that seems to have suddenly appeared in your brief absence.
    "I have my own perception of these places and my own style," Kondakova reflected.  "I call it a kind of dream-like reality.  The only way I can really describe it is to say that it is like being in a dream, in a beautiful place, and yet at the same time, knowing that you are dreaming." 

    One wonders whether, due to her background, why there are no depictions of her homeland in Kondakova's selections.
      "For me, at this point in my life, going back to Moscow would be too painful," Kondakova noted.  "The scenes and images which I have from my childhood are painful to me, and I am uncomfortable about what's happening there right now, so it is not something I wish to pursue."

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    Common in Kondakova's Parisian portraits are old posters, reminiscent of early 1900's Paris coupled with a Moulin Rouge-theme.  Usually, more than one can be found on the sides of buildings, or tagged along newspaper kiosks. There is a great feeling of movement in these Paris streets, though often they are noticeably scarce of people, which does nothing to deflect upon the impact of the work itself.  Typically, one or two lone souls can be found sipping coffee or reflecting comfortably at one of Kondakova's quaint cafe's.
    These details only compliment the aura of Kondakova's depictions of Paris, which come alive with vibrant, rich night blues and singing morning scarlets.  Her use of purples, off-teals and sky-threatening pinks enliven and enhance her pastoral sidewalks,  her burnt-gray cobblestone streets, and her pigmented gold and sienna-hued structures.
    Kondakova is not without a sense of humor, however, and often times this humor is found in the most subtle of circumstances, such as in her yielding depiction of a giant bronze snail above a small cafe appropriately titled "L'Escargot."
    Most recently, Kondakova has begun to focus on Venice and said she wants to return to Italy to pursue new innovations for her work.  Interestingly enough, her depictions of the Venitian canals and walkways are in direct contrast to her Parisian themes, for while Kondakova's Paris evokes movement and business, her Venice appears tranquil, less-traveled and ravishingly peaceful in a surealistic fashion.
    "I have just come from Italy and perhaps in my paintings people will find a reflextion of the great history which emulates from that country," Kondakova said.
    Though peaceful and reflective, Kondakova's Venice still translates to her roots, and does not deny the viewer any of her stunning tones indicative of her former works.
    Kondakova has a strong following of supporters, which continues to grow annually.  In 1993 she was featured in a PBS special spotlighting her art. At a recent gallery showing in Oak Brook, Illinois for the Martin Lawrence Galleries, nearly 350 locals turned out to meet the artist and have her autograph her work.  Kondakova is set to appear next at Newport Beach on November 17 and then at Universal City Walk on November 18 of this year.
    One thing is to be sure about Kondakova: though her works depict a dream-like quality and an undeniable realism, the artist herself shines through as a complete and grounded human being.