Anatoly Basin's artistic path leads from the Russian tradition of the (non-golden) icons (Roublev, Theophane the Greek), through the Venetian painters (Giorgione, Titian) - who unlike the Florentine painters emphasized colour - to Matisse. 

Roger Ychai's roots are in music (classical guitar, Persian zarb) leading him eventually to painting. 

Hedi Tarjan's line of painting leads from Giotto to the contemporary "School of London" (Kossof, Auerbach).