Where do you live?
Since 2018, I’ve been living in Nicosia with my family – my wife and two sons who are currently 20 and 14.

What did you have for breakfast?
Just an espresso.

Describe your perfect day
It’s a sunny day on which I feel physically well. I go to the beach, the sea is calm and I go for a long swim. After that I spend a lazy afternoon reading. In the evening I am with my favourite people and we go out or maybe we just stay in and enjoy each other’s company. I find that it is the ordinary things that truly make us happy.

Best book ever read?
It’s two books, because I couldn’t put one ahead of the other: It by Steven King and The Wind-Up Bird by Haruki Murakami. These are my favourite books, because reading them I felt as if I was there living the story together with the protagonists, I was completely absorbed.

Best childhood memory?
Reading books on loan from the library in the attic of our village house.

What is always in your fridge?
Beer

What music are you listening to in the car at the moment?
While painting, Paganini, Vivaldi and Mozart. I adore the performances of David Garrett. During the rest of the time I like listening to rock music, Nightwish being my all-time favourite.

What’s your spirit animal?
Hawk. When I was young, I used to dream I was flying and those were my favourite dreams. I still have that dream from time to time.

What are you most proud of?
My family

What movie scene has really stayed with you?
It is not from a movie, but from the Shogun TV series from the 80s, starring Richard Chamberlain. It was the scene in which Blackthorne is mad, because his concubine Fujiko San ordered the execution of the old gardener, because he took down the pheasant that Blackthorne had hung up to age its meat and the bird was rotting and smelled bad. The scene that stayed with me is the moment Blackthorne, who is about to cut Fujiko’s head in retribution for the death of the gardener, realises that he is the one to blame, it is his fault.

If you could pick anyone at all (alive or dead) to go out for the evening with, who would it be?
Oscar Wilde, due to his reputation of being the greatest conversationalist ever. I’d love to go into profound discussions with him.

If you could time travel when/where would you go?
The US during the 1950s, to watch nuclear tests in the Nevada desert while picnicking and enjoy a golden era.

What is your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is betraying the people who believe in me.

What would you say to your 18-year-old self?
Dude, you are doing everything right, only don’t throw yourself so recklessly in combat sports, physical trauma later in life is no fun.

Name the one thing that would stop you dating someone.
Being bored by that person

What would you do if you had 24 hours to live?
Go out partying and go wild – drink, smoke and eat all I can.

After moving to Cyprus from Sofia, Bulgaria, and inspired by the brilliant light and the warm people of the island, I resumed the artistic pursuits of my youth. I started to paint in oil and acrylics, putting down on the canvas fantasy scenes born in my mind. Follow him on Facebook (Veselin Ivanchev) and Instagram (veskoivanchev)