A personal exhibition of works by Natalia Kalugina, dedicated to the artist's 70th birthday, has opened at the Exhibition Center of Fine Arts of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan. Natalia Pavlovna's fate led her to painting several decades late.

However, Natalia Pavlovna is an inexhaustible optimist, and as the exhibition showed, she has more than made up for lost time. She exhibited nearly 100 paintings, mostly landscapes of beautiful desert and mountain corners, as well as holy pilgrimage sites. To see each of these places, one must embark on a small journey with an easel or sketchbook, and Natalia Pavlovna occasionally leaves urban comforts to seek new adventures.

Kalugina's landscapes are so unique that they cannot be confused with those of other artists. No one else sees the desert in lilac and lemon shades. The artist explains her fondness for pilgrimage sites by the aura of goodwill she feels there. Sometimes her imagination creates mythical images, as in the painting "Shivlan-baba," where rocks resemble dragon heads guarding the holy place from afar. It is almost impossible to see the dragon without a clue. The landscape is like a landscape. But maybe that is the mystery of the painting.

Urban landscapes occupy a small place in the artist's work, but each is distinctive, depicting a kaleidoscope of colorful rooftops. Many of Kalugina's paintings are well-known to viewers due to her active participation in gala exhibitions. Eight of her works are in the State Museum of Fine Arts, with some on permanent display.

"What is your favorite painting?" I asked the jubilarian.

"The painting 'If,'" Natalia Pavlovna replied without hesitation, "because it's the latest. I finished it yesterday evening." The painting depicts a girl in a red dress descending a steep hill. The artist gave it an unusual title - "If," thus allowing viewers to decide what happens next. The girl might soar on the wings of her dreams, stumble and tumble down, or carefully descend without incident. The title is crucial for the painting.

Some artists admit that it is often easier to paint than to come up with a good title. One exhibited work's history is interesting in this regard. Initially called "Botanical Garden Alley," and now it is "Chopin. Composition No. 18." With the new title, the alley's trees seem to dance to the Polish composer's elegant melody. Equally interesting is the painting "Larks Sing." The sunlit field lacks visible larks, but they sing in the artist's soul so beautifully that they made it into the title. Besides paintings, Natalia Pavlovna exhibited a collection of stone crafts, each piece exploring the Turkmen people's historical past.

Professionals and art enthusiasts appreciate Natalia Kalugina's work for its originality, creativity, warmth and positivity emanating from each piece.