Years ago, Russian Artist Viktor Shvaiko fled the oppression of his homeland with nothing but a few of his paintings strapped to his back. Winding up in Italy, Shvaiko literally sold his earliest pieces to survive, eventually becoming one of the most popular artists painting today. His breathtaking scenes of Mediterranean landscapes and European villages are intensely focused creations that capture the subtle qualities of sunlight, shadows and shades of color, transforming each of his works into hyper-realistic, Post-Impressionist masterpieces.