Vladimir Prodanovich (b. 1952) Yugoslavian/American, Oil on Canvas "Laguna Beach." Signed bottom right. 

Overall: 41 1/2 x 27 1/4 in.

Sight: 40 x 26 in.

#2637 . 

Vladimir Prodanovich was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1952, and began his artistic career at the age of seven. As a young boy Vladimir attended a local art show and entered a contest, winning third prize. At the age of 13 he became an apprentice to a noted Yugoslavian artist, spending the next ten years honing his skills. In 1983 Vladimir emigrated to Philadelphia, where he painted cars, homes and billboards while working on his own art and teaching himself to speak English. Three years later Vladimir drove to California, settling in the Laguna Beach area where he lived for the next 27 years. His artwork, described as neo-expressionist, is highly textured and vibrant, with a wide variety of composition and form. By the early 2000s his work was in private collections worldwide. He became known for his philanthropy, donating paintings every year to local organizations to raise money for charities, and for which he was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York City in 2011. In 2015 Vladimir set up a new home studio in Delray Beach, Florida, after being commissioned to create a large sculpture for a park there and falling in love with the Atlantic coast. He has a permanent art installation at The Holocaust Museum in Cathedral City, California, and was the primary artist exhibited in The Desert Aids Project in Palm Springs.