Bulgarian Painter Lili Dimkova (vegetarian): Drawing in Light and Spirituality, Part 1 of 2

Lili Dimkova (vegetarian) was born in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, on July 16, 1932, and is the daughter of the respected herbal healer and philosopher, Petar Dimkov (vegetarian), and Maria Dimkova. She graduated from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia in 1957, majoring in scenography. Her works include designing costumes for Bulgarian films, creating book designs, and painting masterpieces. Furthermore, she is gifted with spiritual insights and sensitivity. The main sources of inspirations behind her spectacular artwork are God, Mother Nature, and her beautiful surroundings.

Not only did she inherit the perseverance of her parents and the fortitude to stand by her convictions, but she was blessed to have access to esoteric texts. These were banned in Bulgaria at the time, but her father had collected some and secretly kept them in the attic. Naturally, Lili also became a devotee of Master Beinsa Douno. Her artworks are permeated with the sacred words of the Master. She reviews them daily and whenever advice is needed.

The artist humbly confesses that she is only an instrument of God. The holy rite of prayers before she draws puts her in a creative mood and connects her to the High Powers which guide her hand. “All paintings are made with a prayer taken from ‘Sacred Words of the Master,’ which for me is the ‘open sesame.’”

Lili Dimkova’s art strives to express the Heavenly Light. Light and loving thoughts are the driving forces behind Lili Dimkova’s art, whereby, tenderness, brilliance, and movement are their signature features. Lili Dimkova believes humans are surrounded by Heavenly Light. Shortly after her graduation, she felt the urge to make the lights in nature and auras surrounding Saints and spiritual beings more visually perceptible. After some trial and error, she found her distinct techniques and proper art form by using oil pastels as her drawing medium.

“In fact, the paintings don’t just happen. Like, I stand in front of the tripod and pray. Preliminarily, in meditation, in prayer, I look for materials for a very, very long time. You have to find everything. I say – we should work as apprentices, then ask these Masters from above to come and help us.”