Nikita Budkov

Oil on Board

18” x 24”

Oil in aluminum panel

8" x 10"

Oil on aluminum panel

9” x 12”

On the final day of our fire season, amidst the cleanup of hazardous brush and trees north of the San Fernando Valley, I paused to catch my breath. Before me unfolded a striking scene: a working assembly of fellow firefighters under the command of our supervisor, set against the sweeping drama of the valley laid out below. I felt a swell of pride for these courageous men and women, compelling me to capture this scene in paint.

Oil on aluminum

12" x 16"

Oil on panel

20” x 24”

Oil on aluminum panel

14" x 11"

Oil on panel

14” x 11”

Donated to LAFD Crew 3, as a token of my gratitude to the firefighters for their dedication and patience with me and my fellow volunteer crew members.

Oil on panel

24” x 20”

A commission family portrait started from life in the Redwoods and finished in the studio.

Oil on panel

24” x 18”

Oil on aluminum panel

8” x 10”

REBIRTH OF LIGHT

Oil on panel

12” x 16”

The maiden is woken by the warming sun. She is like nature herself, born again after a long and cold winter.

This painting won an Overall Winner award with February’s Plein Air Salon, and an Honorable Mention award with Annual Plein Air Salon Competition.

Oil on canvas panel

8” x 16”

Painted during the paint-out at the Bowers Museum in a celebration of California Art Club’s 111th Gold Medal Exhibition.

This serene landscape offers a glimpse into a tranquil valley where cattle graze peacefully along a winding stream.

Oil on Aluminum Panel

6” x 6”

For inquiries, please proceed to Contact page.

Oil on panel

30” x 30”

With this painting I hoped to experiment away from my usual red/purple palette and transcend the feeling of a nostalgic sunset. I feel like it reminds me of the Pre-Raphaelites because of colors and the amount of details. I was heavily influenced by my friend in the center and his love for motorcycles and Classic Rock to paint this every-day scene somewhere in North Hollywood. I love to how many ways the narration in this painting can expand. While the story of what's exactly is going on here may not be known, one thing is for sure: that's damn gorgeous looking bike.

Oil on aluminum

14" x 14"

This painting captures a quiet moment at the close of day, as a solitary deer moves cautiously through a sun-drenched clearing. The golden light of the setting sun filters through the dense brush, casting long shadows and illuminating the scene with a warm, fleeting glow.

Oil on panel

16” x 12”

Of a young woman, seemingly lost in a cold, mysterious forest a few hours before first snow on a December day.

Under the scorching sun of the Wild West, two rugged cowboys sit on a weathered porch, their eyes keen, guns ready.

Oil on aluminum panel

8” x 10”

Oil on aluminum panel

8” x 10”

Oil on panel

40”x30”

 The free spirit of a rebellious nature is woven into the fabric in which America was made. The biker’s pose seems to show confidence in his way of living, but there is still a glimmer of confusion in his eyes. Very stubborn and hard to change, though the providence made its own plans on the fate of this man. It could be rough, but nothing can destroy his brave heart.

Oil on panel

8” x 8”

Won Best Urban at Tehachapi Art Commission 2023

Oil on Aluminum Panel

8” x 10”

Oil on panel

11” x 14”

I like to paint the dramatic and epic views. This composition fits perfectly in between these words. The sun was ceasing down and it lit the below mountain stream transforming it into a shining force of nature. The mountain in the distance topped the arrangement of the landscape and alluded to a Lonely Mountain from The Hobbit, which gave the painting its final, magical landscape feeling.

Oil on panel

16” x 20”

Alabama Hills are the Martian-esque desert lands near Lone Pine by the Sierra Nevada Mountains, popular with the hip LA crowd and pit bike riders alike. We camped there for a night, and just before dawn I braved to do a painting of the disintegrating sun behind the mountains. Painting with the sunlight in my eyes is an interesting experience, work has to be done very quickly, and later it needs to be recollected from memory after the sun is gone. There was so much light that my peripheral vision came in handy for sure, concluding in a very atmospheric piece with some information about the landscape.

Oil on panel

10" x 8", artwork

“As the sun dips lower on the horizon, the angle of the light changes, causing it to stream through windows and create a natural spotlight effect. The result is a breathtaking display of warm light and shadow that transforms the look and feel of space. During the Golden Hour, this vase with Gypsophila in the corner of the room is elegantly illuminated and every time I pass by it, I take a moment to bask in the beauty and wonder of the natural world.”

—Nikita Budkov

Oil on panel

15” x 15”

That night there was a heavy snowstorm. An obscure silhouette of the cabin looked like a chapel, and tree trunks were its arms.

After midnight hours were burning with something primordial, cosmic and unknown. The snowfall was so much and everywhere on my palette and panel, I could not help it but mixed it with oil paint. I moved quickly to finish the first layer before it got too cold and then left, feeling strangely initiated in the riddles of the night.

Oil on board

23” x 30”

John Dee (1527 - 1609) was an English mathematician, cartographer, astrologer, occult philosopher, and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. He devoted much of his life to the study of alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy, holding a collection of more than 4,000 books at his home - bigger than the libraries of Oxford and Cambridge. He sought to contact spirits through the use of a scryer, or crystal-gazer, which supposedly acted as an intermediary between Dee and the angels. The magic and alchemy he practiced were intimately woven together with investigations into religion, mathematics, and natural science.

Oil on canvas panel

16” x 12”

Oil on canvas panel

16” x 12”

During the first months of the pandemic in the US, I felt the need to paint myself in these uncertain times. I lay in nature, my eyes are following the passing sky, and my hand controls the weight of the sturdy kettlebell.

Oil on panel
26” x 36”

For this amazing commission work I was honored to paint a legendary story of Excalibur, King Arthur's second sword, which he received from the Lady of the Lake. You may see Arthur and Merlin on a boat, as the King wields his new weapon with an absolute control and determination, as Merlin teaches him about the magical protective and healing power of the scabbard. On the bottom left one can see the Lady of the Lake casting her miraculous spells. In the background - a great castle Camelot. The atmosphere and surroundings are dramatic, full of energy and magic.

Oil on board

18” x 24”

Oil on board

12” x 12”

Painted and exhibited during the First Annual Dana Point Plein Air Festival.

Oil on canvas panel

8” x 16”

Oil on canvas panel

12” x 16”

On February 18th, 2021, NASA’s new rover “Perseverance” lands on Mars.
An atmospheric fantasy painting of the red planet.

Oil on panel

9” x 12”

Oi on panel

16” x 12”

This beautiful young lady wears a crown of red and green leaves; her blonde balayage hair reflects the twilight sun. She is dressed in clothes and jewelry influenced by Norse mythology. She is feminine, strong in nature.