“On the Verge of Adulthood”

18″x40″

“At the Sports Bar”

84″x36″

“Pale Beauty” 

50″x32″

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1967, Misti started drawing and pastel painting when he was just 5 years old. Immediately he was noted for his tremendous talent with color.  Recognizing this ability, his mother took him to the youth department of the world famous Hermitage Museum where Misti was accepted into the painting program for gifted children.  The General Curator of the Hermitage, Professor B. Piotrovsky, saw Misti’s paintings during an exhibition and requested to become his teacher. Misti was only seven years old then.

 In 1979, he began extensive studies at the prestigious art school, organized by the Academy of Fine Art of St. Petersburg, acknowledging gifted children of the arts. At age 17 he was accepted as a student of the Academy, and the Academy President, Professor B. Uvarov, chose Misti as his personal student.  Graduating valedictorian from the Academy, his graduate work consisted of a series of seven paintings titled “Porch” for which he received the award of “Best Graduate of the Year”.

Misti began frequent travels abroad in 1993. He explored the countryside of France, Italy and Spain carrying his brushes and easel, sleeping in his sleeping bag at night and painting the glorious landscapes by day.  He so enjoyed surrounding himself in the environment of Moret sur Loing and Bourron-Marlotte, where his favorite painters Renoir and Sisley had created their best paintings.

 It was during his travels through Spain that Misti developed his interest in the Art Nouveau style of such artists as Gaudi and Montaner. Only then did he try his hand painting portraits. Soon thereafter he became highly sought for portrait commissions. He loves to create a romantic setting, using the impressionistic play of light to synthesize the beauty of a woman or a child and beautiful surroundings. Pavlov is a real master— with strengths in drawing figures and the use of a magnificent color pallet.  One becomes mesmerized by his works; the paintings become alive and ever changing, opening up and allowing the viewer to see more and more beauty and the hidden meanings within. 

 Misti has participated in numerous major exhibitions throughout Russia and Europe. His paintings are in several museums (see list below) and various private collections in Russia, Europe, and the United States and are the envy of collectors everywhere. In 2003 his painting of a Bolshoi prima ballerina Volochkova was auctioned and sold for a record price at the prestigious art auction in St Petersburg.

Every year Misti travels to Europe, and spends 3-4 months in France, Spain or Italy. He flies at the beginning of June to different European cities, gets out of the plain, takes bus to nearest small town, preferably near the sea, and starts his foot wonderings throughout the region. Sometimes he sleeps in small inns, sometimes in the country houses of people he meets while he is wondering, sometimes on the fields or in barns. He pays for his food by sketching portraits and landscapes. Best he duplicates and then uses them in his paintings. From time to time he arrives in big cities, goes to museums, meets with other artists at galleries or pubs and bars frequent by local artists. He calls those trips “renovations”, it rejuvenates him, gives him inner strengths carry on, paint during rest of the year. His wife and kids know about their Misti’s needs, and do not even try to stop him.