Radojica Stojcetovic from Strpce creates works in his eighth decade that exude emotion

While many people slow down their pace of life in their later years, for painter Radojica Stojcetovic from Strpce, inspiration knows neither limits nor age. Now in his eighth decade of life, he still spends his time in front of the canvas, creating works with his brush that exude experience, emotion, and a love of art.

Radojica Stojcetovic's love of painting was born early. He first picked up a paintbrush at just eight years old, and today, at the age of 79, he continues to paint, proving that inspiration and a love of painting know no age.

“I have been painting since early childhood. At the age of eight, I had already started painting on my own. I have a God-given gift. From that time on, I was always drawing various portraits and pictures with a pencil in my hand, and I also painted landscapes. I was in Germany as well, where I worked a lot and visited galleries, and that is how I became acquainted with many painters. When I returned home, I began painting the northern part of the Sar Mountains. I am particularly inspired by the landscapes of the Sar Mountains. I am a freelance artist, so I paint whatever comes to me, whatever I feel I can do best, I do. Painting enriches a person. These are unstable times, with many challenges. When I paint, I immerse myself in what I am doing and relax. I paint all sorts of things, whatever inspires me at the moment. Sometimes I paint nature, but I also do portraits of people. I have painted icons as well. I have more than 1,000 paintings. I have given some away, gifted some, and sold others,” Stojcetovic said.

The most common motifs in this artist's paintings are landscapes of the Sar Mountains, whose vast pastures, forests, mountain peaks, and natural beauty represent an inexhaustible source of inspiration.

“In my paintings, you can see our lakes in the Sar Mountains, springs, streams, everything is a motif for me. I also do abstract art, portraits, icons, portraits of people, and so on. Portraits come very naturally to me as well. With some of the portraits I have done in pencil, many people think they are photographs. The first painting I made with tempera showed a fisherman catching fish. It was a large painting. But I gave it away, so unfortunately I do not have that painting at the moment. I mostly worked on paper, and in Germany I had perhaps more than two or three thousand works. I received encouragement from some German painters. They encouraged me and told me that I had talent. They urged me to go to art school and said it was a shame that I was not studying to become a painter. However, I could not go because I had to work. So now I practice painting as an amateur,” Stojcetovic said.

In his work, he most often uses oil paints, but other painting techniques are not unfamiliar to him.

“I most often like to paint with oil paints, but I also use acrylics, which are more demanding, while I often use pastels for sketches. I had a very nice exhibition in Gracanica, and I have exhibited at fairs. I am also in talks about exhibiting my paintings in Serbia and North Macedonia. It will also be a sales exhibition,” the artist said.

He keeps his paintings in a well-ventilated room and, after completing them, gives them additional protection with a layer of protective varnish in order to preserve their colors and ensure their longevity.

“It is important for the room to be ventilated, that there is no moisture and that the temperature is not too high. This is how the paintings are protected, because moisture destroys the canvas. When I finish a painting, I preserve it. I have varnish ready, and then the painting lasts, so paintings can be kept for many years. It is important not to use chemicals when wiping paintings, but simply to wipe them with a damp cloth,” Stojcetovic explains.

He adds that, for him, painting is a way of life because he feels fulfilled and happy while he paints. He therefore says that painting prolongs his life because it fills him with positive energy and gives meaning to each day.

“I paint whenever I have free time and feel inspired. It fulfills me, and time flies while I work. Painting prolongs my life. You are filled with joy when you do a painting well. It does not matter whether someone else likes the painting. It fulfills me, and I am happy when the painting turns out well,” Stojcetovic said.

Today, in his eighth decade, this artist continues to create with the same love he had when he first picked up a paintbrush. His life story is proof that a passion for art can last a lifetime.