The hectic pace of everyday life has not entered the hall of the Seasons Gallery at 2A Krakra Street, where the watercolours of Darina Yaneva are on display.

The exhibition, which opened on October 10, is the 16th solo exhibition of the artist. The 25 works shown at the cosy gallery convey a sense of contagious tranquility and romanticism.

The artist is exhibiting works arranged in a number of different cycles. As you enter the gallery you first see the pastel colours of landscapes showing the beautiful rocks near Melnik (Southwestern Bulgaria). "I have had innermost experiences from Melnik which have inspired me for a series of works depicting the beautiful cliffs of the place," Yaneva said.

She added that she found the cliffs very rich and very interesting for her from an artistic point of view. "I think it is a magic place. No wonder that so many churches and monasteries have been built there."

The artist said that she could only paint in places where she feels relaxed, balanced and charged with positive vibrations. Some of these places for her are Melnik, and Kavarna and Kaliakra on the Black Sea.

The artist's relaxed state of mind has been transferred to the paintings themselves to achieve the tranquil atmosphere of the exhibition. Yaneva said she did not intentionally search for such a mood.

"I conducted an experiment while preparing this exhibition," the artist explained. "I mixed together works created at different times, intended in different ways and showing different techniques. This way I think I managed to capture the attention of people with different artistic tastes."

A graduate of the Art School in Kazanluk and the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Yaneva majored in ceramics in the academy. However, she mainly paints watercolours now. "Any artist who is open to all kinds of genres and techniques should not be constrained by their specialty but should work in various directions."

Yaneva said that she viewed her works in a completely different light when she saw them out of the studio exhibited in a gallery. "Showing works at exhibitions gives me the chance to judge my achievements," she explained.

Another way of estimating her own work is juxtaposing paintings on a similar topic done in different times. An example of this is her series Faces which she started in 1994. "When I compare a painting done in 1994 with one made now, it is easier for me to understand what has changed in my way of thinking over the years," the artist said.

In the Faces series, Yaneva painted mainly female faces and in most canvases there are two faces shown. "The presence of two faces shows the dualistic element in each one of us," she said, adding that this was not an intentional image but rather a spontaneous reaction to what happens inside human beings.

"My interpretation after I see the finished painting is that these are our two sides - good and evil, dark and light. They exist together, hand in hand. They are compulsory because we live in a dualistic world and this is our way of life."

Yaneva's main desire is to show what she feels in her paintings. "I would like to be sincere in my works. When a person is relaxed he or she is real." Commenting on the more general mission of art, she noted that "every painting is a path to the inner self and a path to others."

Darina Yaneva's works are on view at the Seasons Gallery until October 23.