My Bulgarian Gold Beauty Girl

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This includes my entire process of creation and sculpture by my own welding techniques. 

The sculpture is made of bronze plates about a quarter of an inch thick. To finish the welding process, I used both the MIG and the TIG welding techniques. Many important processes are used for the finishing of the surface of the sculpture, such as: 

• Glass beading 
• Die Grinding
• Grinding
• Sanding
• Polishing

Patina and waxing are used for the final processes. 

The sculpture needs just patina (color) to give it the power of expression. I leave the sculpture to get its natural patina (by the stream of time)

All techniques used were done by myself. From start to finish took 1000 hours of hard work. I would find time to create after my 8 hour day job, weekends, and vacation days. 

Personally, as an artist, when I have an idea to create a work of art, I need a point of reference that gives me an impulse that excites my imagination. When the imagination is excited, it can be limitless, and you can imagine absolutely ANYTHING. From such impulse, I can get ideas for the composition, form, lighting, perspective, lines, texture, structure, space, and climate for both paintings and sculptures. My thinking is simplistic, but it's effect is of maximum strength to observers. 

The creation process begins by looking for and purchasing choice scraps of metal, bronze, stainless steel, and carbon steel from scrap metal dealers. Then, I prepare them by cutting them up into hundreds, and even thousands of pieces! I use torches and a plasma cutter to make different sizes, formats, and forms. I already know the forms and shapes of the project I am imagining, and I know exactly where each piece is going to be placed. After all pieces are cut and formed I clean them by grinding them. I then start the process of assembly, composing the pieces into the creation by size and form. 

Every piece has an exact place to be. One by one, a they are placed, thousands of pieces come together gradually forming a single surface: a powerful, emotional, and expressive work of art. It is in its raw form, pieces welded by different processes: one sculpture made of thousands of forms and many facets united as one. I further grind, clean, and polish the surface of the sculpture to a mirror finish. 

I put all of my knowledge, technical experience, imagination, feelings and emotions, and all my life experiences into my works of art. Once it is complete, all of those values put into it should have a definite effect of the viewers. 

There are so many criteria used to value the artwork and its creator. The most important of those, no doubt, is the originality of the artist and their work. The best correct evaluation of the artwork is not solely by the artist's name, but by the artwork itself. To value it by the artist's name alone would be a false evaluation. We do not need to always keep the artist in mind to evaluate. To concentrate primarily on the artwork is the true way to place value on it. The truly great masterpieces have to strongly hold the gaze of its observers, drawing their attention, provoking their thoughts, igniting their imaginations, and exciting their emotions!
The more powerful and stimulating the artwork is, the greater that artwork is. 

The artist and their work have to be so original as to not be confused with another artist's work. When we talk about powerful artwork, we have in mind the emotions it awakens in us. We feel the personality of the artist (their thoughts, ideas, knowledge, expertise, feelings, sensuality, emotions, and imagination). When these things are invoked in you through a work of art, it is a true masterpiece, not just a beautiful decoration, but art that is abundant with feelings and emotions. 

I am not a well known or wealthy artist now, but when I am in front of my sculpture or painting I feel great! While focusing on the combination of my thinking, knowledge, experience, feeling and emotions, all my personality, I feel like nobody else. I'm strictly myself. I know that I am one in a million! I'm sorry for speaking about myself in such manner, but I really know my worth as a person and an artist. I know the value of all of my work because it all is a reflection of my personality. 

I also know that if my artwork hits the right eyes and goes into good hands, it will do well. Professional collectors and millionaires know how to discover artists and their art to advertise and market. They can sell my artwork for millions because of their financial abilities and contacts. They are from that branch of people who are into the big art marketing world. If my art pieces go to the right people and impact everyone who sees it then I will become known in that art world as well and my work will be at its real value and price. The human life is too short. There very often isn't enough time to achieve all that you want. It's been the case that the artist passes away in obscurity and poverty only for their art to sell for millions decades and even hundreds of years later! It's too late for the artist to our regret, but the art and its creator's name are eternal. 

There are so many places and organizations like Christi's, Sotheby's, Phillip's, auction houses, and many more with professional art appraisers. They value works of art based on many criteria such as: 

• Name of the artist
• Authenticity
• Old masters
• How important the artist is to art history
• Does the artist have positive romantic baggage?
• Is the art from a desirable phase in the artist's development?
• Is it typical?
• Does the art have wall power?
• Subject matter
• Condition 
• Provenance of the art 

These criteria are also used for marketing, but sometimes they don't give true value to them. 

Too many artists who've already gained their glory have their artwork valued only on their famous names. They create weak works of art because they are already famous. Their works are popular because of their names, not the works themselves. Please remember that the best work an artist creates tends to be when they are not yet famous. It tends to be while they are striving for greatness to be discovered, valued, and acknowledged as an artist. That period of life is when they created their best works. Many biographies of artist state just that. 

My sculptures have a main principle and can be classified as postmodernistic with classical pigmentation. They abound in emotional values and spontaneous artistic form.
                                                                                                           Stoian A. Valkov