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          Silva Segrist, born in Jerusalem of Armenian parents, is known as a California Contemporary Impressionist who works primarily with oil paints.  She enjoys painting still life, figurative subjects and especially landscapes en plein air.  Her formal education, which began in Jerusalem and continued at California State University in Northridge where she completed her Bachelor’s degree, only laid the foundation for Silva’s true passion- the study of art.  Her artistic talent was first recognized by her parents and teachers while learning to paint with English watercolour pigments at a British secondary school.  Immensely intrigued with colour and its dynamics at age sixteen, she began private art instruction and has continued her personal study of art with notable artists at Art League of Los Angeles , California Art Institute and Scottsdale Artist’s School.  “One concept is invariably on my mind as I begin each painting.  Whatever subject I choose, it has to move me emotionally.  I strive to see beyond the obvious in nature and use my deepest emotion to stay true to my original feelings in order to transfer that mood onto my canvas.  Ultimately I desire to have the viewer of my painting understand all the warm and positive feelings I had and to share in the excitement of discovering and recreating three dimensional miracles of nature on a two dimensional surface.”

Silva enjoys traveling worldwide, visiting major museums and galleries to gratify her personal fascination with masterpieces of art, for they are her true source of inspiration.  Her favorite old greats are Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Juaquin Sorolla, Edgar Payne and Isaac Leviton.