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Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1948, Vladimir committed himself to creative artistic activities from his early years. When he was little he enjoyed carving objects out of wood. Drawing was another passion and at school he could often be found drawing illustrations of the history text in his class workbook. The drawings were so remarkable that at the end of the school year the teachers dedicated the workbook to the school. He entered a competition, which was open to all the schools in Belgrade. Easels were set up in a park in front of the Parliament Building where the contestants could draw anything they wanted. Vladimir chose to draw the Parliament Building. Out of hundreds of students he won first prize. The judges could not believe that a twelve-year old had produced such a detailed and accurate rendering. Unable to carry a tune in music class, the teacher - aware of his talent for drawing – instead had him draw all the instruments used in the class. These drawings were so perfect that they were used in subsequent years as teaching aides for the class.

During his high school years and in preparation of entry into the Academy of Fine Arts, for three years he attended evening classes in life drawing.

From 1962 to 1970 Vladimir continued with his higher education in various disciplines. His formal, classic training in the arts is extensive. Beginning in Europe he received his Diploma in Architectural Technical Engineering at the Architectural Technical School of Belgrade. At the University of Belgrade School of Architecture he completed two years of instruction in all phases of architecture. From the Academy of Applied Arts, the most prestigious art institute in Yugoslavia, he completed four years of studies in design forms: theatrical, industrial, and furniture – in addition to drawing, anatomy, painting, and interior architecture.

Despite his excellent scholastic performance Vladimir felt that the manner in which his architectural classes were taught did not allow for the creativity of which he knew he was capable. He decided that in the U.S. he would be able to realize that creative part his nature and so he “saddled up” and headed West.

With the help of sponsors he arrived in Los Angeles and enrolled at Otis Art Institute were he immersed himself for a year in studies majoring in sculpture, drawing, design and painting. Taking the GRE Test and passing with top honors he went on to graduate work at the California Institute of the Arts. Majoring in Design he explored his concepts of a multi-storied, architectural design for futuristic habitats.

As a result of winning a full work/study scholarship he returned to Otis to continue his graduate studies, all the while assisting his professor by teaching the evening classes. He obtained his M.F.A. degree at Otis Art Institute in 1976 with a major in sculpture and a minor in drawing. At the same time he fulfilled requirements for his teaching credentials - and became a U.S. citizen fluent in English, Spanish and Serbo-Croat.

Since that time Vladimir has used his many talents as a sculptor, painter, renderer of portraits, designer, architect and teacher in many and varied venues. His abilities in portraits in pastels are nationally recognized. He was a featured sculptor and painter on the television series, The Artist. He has worked on production designs for the film Heaven’s Gate. The homes of actress Cher, actor Sylvester Stallone, and singer Rod Stewart showcase some of his architectural creativity. Designing custom homes in the Bel Air and the San Diego/Point Loma area are also part of his portfolio. He has had many international portrait and sculpture commissions and his work is represented on two continents. Numerous one man and group shows complete his resume.

His accomplishments are many but for the sake of brevity here the following is for those who are interested in Vladimir, Teacher of the Sculpted Human Figure. He has been teaching since 1966 both here and abroad. In Yugoslavia he tutored students in Architectural Standards, Descriptive Geometry and Perspective thereby assisting them to pass their examinations. In the States his instructions were and are mostly in painting, sculpture and drawing both as workshops and in the classroom. Locally he has been an instructor at Palomar College in San Marcos and The Atheneum in La Jolla. Some of America’s best known sculptors have received his tutoring privately at their studios.

A true artist, Vladimir is an excellent instructor as well with unending patience and an ability to communicate that is outstanding. He is able to teach figurative sculpture at every level. Building of armatures of any size up to and including monumental, human bone structure, musculature, blocking of gross structures, the nuances of movement and expression, sculpting the clay from a model, draping the completed figure are all part of his classroom experience. Of note and concerning the finished sculpture, he is also knowledgeable in the making of molds, casting and cleaning waxes for the “lost wax process”, making investments for casting, pouring bronze, chasing and patination with torch and acids.

When asked for a mission statement Vladimir responds thoughtfully, “Art and teaching are, and will be, my commitments in professional life. There is beauty inside everyone and it is important to nourish in other people the things they want to express. I try to encourage them to reach inside themselves and discover that– no matter how difficult it may seem - they, too, can achieve their dreams.”