Nikolay Rizhankov

Enter Nikolay Rizhankov Gallery

Artist Statement

I paint to uphold the eternal beauty of Classical fine art; whether I am painting a simple still life or an elaborate portrait, I put all my heart into preserving the techniques of the old masters.

I use classical Russian, Dutch and Flemish style techniques to depict the breathtaking beauty of the natural world. During my years in Armenia I have painted much of its lush countryside: Armenia's striking mountains, forests and valleys.

I mainly work with oil paints and pastels, putting technique above all so that the natural beauty of my subject comes across in the most pure form. I also have a good feeling for other styles of painting which allows me to work on restorations.

Nikolay Rizhankov was born in 1960 in Moscow, Russia and lived in Yerevan, Armenia for the most of his life. He studied fine art and Russian Classical Painting at the National University of Art in Moscow and graduated with a Masters in Fine Art in 1989. In November 2013, Nikolay Rizhankov relocated from Armenia to Colorado. He currently lives in Denver. He is currently working on landscape, portrait and still life paintings and restoration of an old painting.

In his first year of living in America, Nikolay was awarded 1st Place in Professional Oil Painting (Floral Category) in the 52nd Annual Fall Art Festival of the Glenwood Springs Artist's Guild. Nikolay was also honored with a Wildlife Appreciation award and another for his miniatures. In the 2015, the Annual Lone Tree Art Expo presented him with the Commissioner’s Choice award.

Classical painting style and traditional techniques rule in Nikolay's works. The artist never uses affordable and popular cotton canvas and acrylic primer, but only high quality linen canvas, masterfully stretching them and applying a special primer, in the tradition of the old masters. Not only do the paintings performed on linen canvas stay true to the test of time, but they also have a smoother and more robust surface. This approach gives Nikolay’s paintings lively energy, warmth and mystery.