We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Sobolev a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Once I decided to become a painter/visual artist, I looked for and found the course that was very heavy on the technical details and took me from the very beginning all the way to the advanced techniques very quickly. The course was the Milan Art Institute Mastery program and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It literally took me from dabbler to professional artist in a very short time.
Prior to this I had fallen and broken my ankle so I had a lot of down time. It was difficult moving around and being up for long periods due to swelling and pain but it also forced me to be home a lot so I could just paint. In addition I was being subjected to a narcissistic gang stalker and was subject to constant attacks. It was a truly awful time and all I could do to feel better was to paint. Painting was my communication and salvation so I painted sometimes all day long working and practicing my craft. Now I can paint just about anything I want to.
Regarding learning more, there are always courses and Youtube videos from generous artists who share their skills and knowledge and I will always be studying to learn new techniques or hone my skills.
The most essential skills are, of course the basics. Learning to draw proportions correctly was HUGE. That was my down fall before. I could not draw but once I learned the technique on how to draw, I could do it easily.
Regarding speeding up the process. I wish I had found this course sooner. It was the missing link because I knew in my heart that if I could just find the correct course taught correctly I could learn.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Prior to becoming an artist, my husband and I had created a company called Super Savvy Travelers. We still have the company and our product was bringing English speaking people over to Italy to purchase and renovate Italian properties and retire there. We were very successful in doing so and managed to bring over a lot of people and a lot of money flowed into our Italian town. Unfortunately this also brought in certain criminal elements who basically ran us out. Since we had to start over and since I was recovering from my broken ankle, I decided to completely switch careers and start painting so I did. My husband still runs Super Savvy Travelers and I am still involved but the vast majority of my time is spent painting and managing our marketing campaign and working to open our gallery in Tuscany in February.
This things I most love about my own art and the art I love in others is the communication factor. I love it when I can look at a piece and know what the artist is trying to communicate or to learn the story behind the painting and see just how the artist communicated through form, texture, color and the other elements of art. My own art I LOVE color and bling! I love painting subjects in colors you do not find in nature but which come from my imagination.
I sell my originals of course but I also have a large line of beautiful prints that are beautifully reproduced so they are at times, almost indistinguishable from the originals. I also do videos online with painting tips for other artists. I love sharing things I have learned with others so they can do what they want with their art.
In addition I am still the “face” of Super Savvy Travelers and act as presenter in the videos. I still love touring Italian properties and discussing renovations and possibilities.
The problems I would solve with my art is, my art makes people happy. That is it. that is the purpose. I love the idea that someone has purchased a piece from me and has it in their house and every so often stops to just look at it. I like to think it might lift their spirits perhaps when they need it most.
With my brand, I want people to feel inspired to do whatever it is they choose to do. I want them to ignore the naysayers and critics and move forward boldly and change the world.
Since the Renaissance, artist have proven that they can change the entire world if they choose to. The Michelangelos are still popular today and still studied. In fact I have copied Michelangelo and will continue to do so as a learning tool. All of the artists who have come before us are held to an almost angelic status and I believe that it is because they are masters of communication and they can change worlds much more so than any wars or revolution.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Several years ago my husband and I started Super Savvy Travelers which sort of morphed into a company designed to bring people over to Italy, line them up with all of the building and design professionals, furniture makers and everything they would need to come over purchase and renovate a home in Italy. This turned out to be a huge boom in our little town because during Covid everyone needed a dream to get them through the pandemic and keep hope alive. As soon as Italy opened up to foreigners, people streamed over in waves and houses flew off the market and the builders were so busy that our architect had to bring in builders from outside areas.
Unfortunately when attention and money enter an area like this one, grifters and shysters are not far behind. The stalking/intimidation campaign started with false reports to the Italian tax authorities resulting in an investigation that found us completely in compliance however one morning at 1:30 Am we were awakened to see our car burning in our driveway in our home in Italy. Shortly thereafter we received threat and extortion letters, one contained a bullet and promised that we would be killed if we did not stop working in the village. We know who this person was who was sending them. She is not a local and decided to try and get rid of us and take over our business. I confronted her on this and the threats stopped however the smears, lies and whisper campaigns continued among the cabal this woman had formed creating such a toxic environment that we had to leave for our sanity. On top of that I fell and broke my ankle very badly ending up in the hospital for a week and a major surgery to repair it. Needless to say I was at a pretty low point in my life and the attacks and bullying on social media, and the lies and defamation spreading every time an news article was published about us became constant and relentless. So as I was on my back recovering I decided to take up painting.
I found the Milan Art Institute Mastery program and threw myself into it. And for every attack I worked harder and longer. I graduated the program within a year and three months and set up shop as a fine artist.
My husband still runs Super Savvy Travelers but we had to move from Calabria to Tuscany where car burning and death threats are not an obsession with criminals and where we can work and expand in peace. We have moved to Torrita di Siena and I will be opening a small art gallery there in February of next year once I get my residency finalized.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I really think anyone can be a creative. It is simply a change of mindset. I truly believe everyone has a desire to create something at some time in their lives. Most little kids when you give them paper and some finger paints really enjoy playing with the colors, shapes and forms. They love it! And I think that if everyone knew they had this desire in them and that they could work to recover the sheer joy of creating without invalidation or judgement, they could become a “creative” too and I think they wold be a lot happier.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chrissobolev.com
• Instagram: @chrissobolev. https://www.instagram.com/chrissobolev/
• Facebook: Chris Sobolev Fine Art. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574819678989
• Youtube: Chris Sobolev. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnSct2thFRtpuMW1MaiMuqw

Image Credits

Photography by Pete Sobolev