It all began in 1976, when twelve-year old John Lansdown from Great Britain had a dream. He dreamt of Bulgaria as a beautiful country he would one day go to. He saw even the minutest of details – the adobe village houses, the delicious, fragrant fruit and vegetables. And almost 30 years later, that wonderful childhood dream came true. When he stopped at a hotel in the historical part of Plovdiv, he found out the Museum to painter Zlatyu Boyadjiev was right next door. Reaching the house, he suddenly remembered it was Zlatyu Boyadjiev’s paintings he had seen in his dream.

Born John Ashton Barber, as an artist, he uses his mother’s maiden name – Lansdown. He grew to be a skilled landscape artist, enthralled by pristine nature and the natural skyline of the townscape. That is the reason why his works so subtly capture the details of the magical harmony of nature, but also the beautiful works of architecture of times gone by. Enchanted by Bulgaria’s landscapes, John put into his pictures the scenery of the Balkan Range and the Rhodopes, where he likes to ramble by himself or with friends. Where the sky touches the rolling mountains, he feels the breath of freedom. So, he chose to settle in Vurba village in Sredna Gora Mountain.

Though he lives up in the mountain, Plovdiv is the city that holds the greatest attraction for him. Having once come in contact with its warmth, he goes there to meet different people, to exchange ideas with them, to discuss art and the important things in life. That is why he perceives Bulgarians through the lens of the city, thanks to the friends he has made there. Old Plovdiv occupies a special place in his paintings, a city bathed in the romantic light of times gone by.

Though he is an artist, John Lansdown also makes string instruments. He learnt the craft of lutherie at the famed Newark school of violin making. He also does sculpture, black-and-white drawings and pottery. In 2006 he settled in Bulgaria, and has been a member of the Union of Artists in Plovdiv since 2011. In the words of art critic Svetla Moskova John is “a Bulgarian through and through, more than any of us” – he wants to paint national heroes Levski and Botev and the history of Bulgaria.

How did the country find its way into the dreams of John Lansdown and what is it like to be an Englishman in Bulgaria? Click on the audio file to find out. 

English version: Milena Daynova