Hello everyone. In my previous post, I wrote about the Gallery of Naive Art, located in Kovacica, a small town in Serbia. It is actually a village, known for its artistic spirit.
People of Slovak origin live there. They speak Slovak, so I felt like I was in Slovakia. But while talking with the locals, I learned that they consider themselves different from Slovaks living in Slovakia. They have their own tradition, customs and unique way of life. They try to follow old, true values, resisting modern technologies as much as possible. I had the feeling as if I had stepped into a fairy tale world where time stood still.
We came to a peaceful time when there were not many people on the street, almost not at all. When we got closer to the city, I saw interesting sights from the car.
Cows grazing on grass.
Windmills. Lots of windmills.
While we were in the gallery, they told us that we must also visit Art Home Nemcek, because it is a very special place, so we headed there through the quiet streets. During the walk, we were accompanied by silence and the chirping of birds.
In Kovacica, there is hardly a person who is not creative. Everyone creates something. We are happy that we had the opportunity to meet a man who has been making violins for years. This is Jan Nemcek, a violin maker who inherited the craft from his self-taught uncle. Jan has made a lot of violins so far. He sold many all over the world and also gave many away.
When we entered his home, he welcomed us warmly. We entered a beautifully landscaped yard, where jazz music was playing. It was a very relaxing atmosphere.
Jan then invited us to enter Art Home, a creative workshop where he makes violins. His wife is also creative, so before you enter the workshop, you enter the room where her works are displayed.
She makes different items from clay and natural materials.
I was especially interested in the eggshell decorations.
We even saw a swan egg.
And finally, we entered the workshop for handmade violins.
Jan explained to us how he does it. We asked him what the secret was. He said the secret is in the love of music. But also, he pays a lot of attention to choosing the right wood that will produce a unique sound because the wood is actually the most responsible for the sound. He spends time in the forest and enjoys choosing the best wood for his violins. Listening to his life story, we became inspired to create and rejoice in small things.
Life is beautiful if we make it so. In Art Home, I bought a necklace made by Jan's wife. I love lavender so I made a great choice. 😊
After visiting Jan's home, we walked around the village.
We spent time in a spacious park full of greenery.
In the park, we saw a cultural monument, the Slovak Evangelical Church from the 19th century. This church is specific because it has not only a religious purpose, but concerts are also held there.
Kovacica is a village of art and it was a pleasure to spend a day there and take some artistic spirit home.
Thank you very much for reading.
The images and writing are original and mine.
Greetings!
Jelena