Born in Los Angeles and schooled in art at UCLA, Metrov began his career in New York City doing illustrations for major publishers such as MacMillan, McGraw-Hill, New York Magazine, and ultimately Push Pin Studios, the only graphic designers to ever exhibit in the Paris Louvre. He eventually segued into Fine Art painting after studying with Prix di Rome scholar, Gilbert Stone. Metrov began doing portraits of celebrities and international socialites. He quickly became renowned for his uncanny ability to capture his subject’s “spiritual essence.” “It’s not something I try to do, it’s simply what comes naturally. Some have called it a psychic ability,” says Metrov, now living and working in Santa Barbara, California, America’s  “Côte d’Azur.”

When Margaux Hemingway saw her finished portrait, she couldn’t stop crying for an hour. Ben Vereen stood speechless before his likeness. Mick Jagger hired Metrov to paint his wife, Bianca. Metrov began competing with his neighbor, Andy Warhol, as portraitist of New York’s elite high society. Growing restless, however, with static artwork, Metrov became fascinated by the potential of motion pictures to be “paintings that moved and made sound.”

 
“Margaux” by Metrov (1977)

After spending many years in the motion picture business, Metrov once again began accepting portrait commissions in 2012. His style has evolved over time, but his art, whether digital (as seen  below) or photographic with synthetic polymers, continues to reflect his subject’s inner nature as well as their common human struggle to balance the often chaotic energies around them.

Digital portrait of the artist’s wife, Dr. Maureen O’Brien (2014)

Metrov was recently invited to conduct a public portrait session at the Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art as part of Marinella Senatore’s, highly acclaimed “Building Communities” exhibition. The event was a huge success. Some of the portraits from the exhibit may be seen on his website: http://www.metrov.org/mcasb-portraits/

To learn more about this exciting opportunity to commission Metrov for your portrait, please contact Marie Kazalia via email here.