When Jaroslava Bičovská and her family landed in the Californian town of Carmel by the Sea in 2003, she had no idea that this place would leave a lasting impression on her. It was her first trip overseas, her first big adventure after many years when travelling freely had been impossible. She flew to America for only fourteen days to work as a babysitter. She brought along a small sketchbook, watercolors, ink and pens. Her image of America had included highways, skyscrapers, and vibrant cities, so she was stunned when she found herself in the middle of a quiet, wild, and captivating landscape.
Carmel, a small town on the Pacific coast, enchanted her with its exceptional nature. Strong waves crashed against the cliffs, seals basked on sunny rocks and dolphins frolicked in the distance. The sea scent mingled with the aroma of pines and eucalyptus. The branches of old Monterey cypresses intertwined like living sculptures, weathered by wind and time. In a house in the middle of a protected area, without television or radio, far from the hustle and bustle of a city, she developed a simple rhythm – sketching during the day, painting at night. Every day a new creation.
The fourteen days stretched to thirty-four, during which a collection of 34 watercolor drawings, later named Kalifornský denník (California Diary) were created.
“As a landlocked Central European, I found myself surrounded by the most fantastic nature I had ever seen. This was not the America I expected. My drawings are a reflection of reality, entries in a travel diary, and an imprint in my memory.”
It was here in California that a new creative ritual was born that accompanies her to this day. Whenever she travels, she finds time for drawing or sketching, which she then uses as the basis for her large-format oils, drawing from them the mood, colors, and composition. In 2006, the Gema Gallery published a bibliophile edition of Kalifornský denník which attracted attention at home and abroad; in fact, a copy is now part of the Monterey Public Library.
Jaroslava Bičovská was born in 1945 in Brandýs nad Labem. She is a prominent Czech painter and illustrator, and a graduate of the Václav Hollar Art School in Prague. Since the 1970s, she has been engaged in free painting, featuring elements of abstraction and figuration, and inspired by musical motifs, landscape and calligraphic gestures. She employs a wide range of techniques from watercolor to acrylic to oil, with harmonious color and a precise, expressive drawing that dominates her works. She exhibits at home and abroad and her work can be found in a number of public and private collections. In the 1990s, she and her husband founded the Dar Ibn Rushd publishing house, where she specializes in graphic design and illustration.
