PARASTOO GANJEI
RIGHT White Roses
in a Silver Jug,
acrylic on canvas,
51x61cm
Driving along country lanes to my studio is a
blessing. It inspires me to start a new painting
echoes of early floral works by Édouard Manet or Henri
Fantin-Latour’s A Basket of Roses, though she brings each
to life with her deliberate and lively way of rendering them.
Parastoo likes to work spontaneously, the speed
and dynamism of her hand gestures designed to reflect
the strong feelings that the subjects evoke within her.
She does this by working with larger brushes and
occasionally a palette knife. “I place large amounts of
paint on the palette and most of the time I end up mixing
colours on spot or even on the canvas. This gives me the
spontaneous feel that I like to achieve.”
Given that her rose paintings have the subtle colour
schemes and darker, richer contrasts normally associated
with Old Master oils, it is a surprise to learn that Parastoo
has worked entirely in acrylics for a number of years now.
She favours the “thicker and luscious texture” of heavy-
body acrylic brands such as Liquitex. “I love the quality of
acrylic. It is quick drying in contrast with oil paint and thisallows me to build up layers of paint and textures or add
highlights where needed. One can also achieve sharp
edges if desired. Basically, acrylic suits my style.”
Parastoo’s paintings are almost all created in the hilltop
studio that she shares with her husband, a fellow artist
and craftsman who makes bespoke furniture and objet
d’art. The couple’s workspace is a former carpentry
workshop. “We love it,” she says. “We have divided the
large space into different areas. I paint in my studio area
and display the work on our gallery walls. His tremendous
knowledge of art, history and literature is a great help.”
In fact, Parastoo’s wider family are all in various creative
pursuits – both her sisters are trained architects, while her
sons have both graduated from Central Saint Martins.
Perhaps the most prominent member, however, is her
grandfather, the great Persian artist and illustrator
Rassam Arjangi. Born in 1892 in Tabriz, northern Iran,
Arjangi studied art in Moscow, BakuandTbilisi,