The village of Novo Selo is located on the road between Veliko Tarnovo and Sevlievo. Here archaeologists have found tools used by people during the Chalcolithic, which testify to an active economic life in the area. There is also a Thracian mound 2-3 kilometers away from the village. Today Novo Selo is an interesting destination for those tempted by history. This is the birthplace of Mono Seizmonov, better known as the revolutionary Matey Preobrazhenski-Mitkaloto. The home of Daniela Ovcharova and Vladimir Ovcharov is also a tourist attraction. After 28 years of living and working as artists in the USA, the two returned to Bulgaria looking for a more calm life:

"We lived in Albuquerque, which is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, but as I used to joke, we only had an address there because we travelled to various festivals all over America," Daniela Ovcharova recalls with a smile.

After arriving in their homeland, everything acquired and made by the family in the US had to find a new home. That is how the idea of creating ​​an artistic corner in Novo Selo, which would be a kind of biography of their life with all the collected memories and with a special emphasis on an exquisite collection of porcelain items, was born:

"We made the Colourful House, bringing all the items that we had collected, both from artists and from various exhibitions. While living in the US for 28 years, we participated in art exhibitions in various galleries."

The family create paintings, work with ceramics and make sculptures. In October they participated in the 20th edition of the Cultural Tourism International Exhibition in Veliko Tarnovo.

“In the USA, we made a living by participating in the so-called juried festivals. A jury of artists and gallery owners evaluates the biography and photos you send and if they approve it, you get a place at the exhibition for the appropriate fee so you can freely contact clients and collectors, which is very interesting, but unfortunately, there is no such tradition in Bulgaria. Most people sell through galleries, where buyers cannot meet the author," Vladimir tells us.

With the idea of ​​meeting art connoisseurs in person, the two opened the doors of their home. Anyone who wishes can view their works and meet and talk to the artists in person. Visits are scheduled in advance by phone, as the family sometimes have to travel to different places in the country. They are often impressed by the knowledge and interests of the people who visit them:

"I was very pleasantly surprised because people who were familiar with the history of old furniture and porcelain came. They were completely correct in distinguishing the different types, so it seems that there are people here who are interested and, perhaps, have their own collections that they do not exhibit," Daniela says.

Daniela and Vladimir have a son and a daughter, but say that neither of them will continue the family tradition in the visual arts, at least for now:

"The daughter is very artistic and works as a volunteer for the Clinton Theater in Portland, where she makes costumes, writes plays and stages performances. She has also been teaching at a Montessori school for many years, while our son is engaged in mathematics. Sometimes I open the search engine with the idea of ​​checking if he has achieved something new, as he is very modest and does not speak about his successes,” Vladimir says with pride.

The two Bulgarians are happy in the village near Veliko Tarnovo, where life is colourful not only in their "Colourful House". The nationality of the people who live in the village is also colourful – in addition to Bulgarians there are also Irish, Scots, English, Belgians, Russians, Germans, French and Italians.

Novo Selo is not very small. Officially, there are nearly 600 people registered there, as not all of them live there year-round. The people in the village have organized a play that tells the story of the life of the local hero Matey Mitkaloto and in the summer a scout camp is held, which includes 60 children from the region.

Author: Yoan Kolev

Publication in English: Al. Markov

Photos: Yoan Kolev, Facebook/ The Colourful House