Silvia Vassileva epitomizes the famous phrase "joie de vivre," or "joy of life." The free and bold style of her paintings reflects her vivacious personality and boundless energy. Her paintings are expressions of life, captured on the canvas for all to see and enjoy. They make an emotional connection with the consumers and she has become one of the leading contemporary artists in the decorative art market.

In Silvia's own words: "When I paint I enjoy the feeling of absolute freedom and abandon, which do not exist in the reality outside of the canvass. My goal is to take the viewer through the whole process- from the reality through it's transformation in my mind, through the expression of my own feelings, to the new reality…. To me fine art is about feeling, about senses, about our soul and sensitivity."

Silvia took her first art class when she was twelve years old in her native Bulgaria. From that time she knew where her destiny would lead and she never wavered. "After my first lesson, there was no doubt about what I wanted to do. It felt like a curtain was lifted and from that moment I could see shapes, shades and color as I had never seen them before". Silvia pursued her love of art at the Academy of Fine Art in Sofia, where she attained her bachelor's and master's degrees. Then she spent six years painting and exhibiting her work in Japan, before moving to California where she lives since 1996. Currently her original artwork is represented in several galleries and her prints are published and distributed world wide by Wild Apple Graphics.

Influenced by Japanese wood block prints, renaissance masters, French impressionists, and Picasso, Silvia describes her style as very free and bold. "I love contrast, sudden changes of color, unusual color palettes: everything that makes a painting ALIVE". The result is an irresistible sense of exuberance and joie de vivre in her work.

Her paintings are part of the permanent collections of galleries, corporate buildings and residencies worldwide.