Irina Krechetova

You travel a lot and paint scenes from different countries — India, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka. How do these travels influence your artistic vision?

Yes, that’s true — I travel a lot and I always take my sketch kit with me. I can’t imagine a vacation without it. New places fill me with fresh impressions and inspire me to create studies. Each country reveals its own unique stories, its architecture, landscapes, its sunrises and sunsets… Later, in my studio, I paint works inspired by what I have seen — a vivid reflection of the paths I’ve taken.

Your paintings often feature bright colors and expressive brushwork. How do you choose your color palette for each work?

I am an artist — that’s how I see it! This phrase has already become a cliché, but there is a grain of truth in it. I am a realist artist, and it’s hard to argue with that. I try to “capture” nature and convey it as it is — but through my own vision, through my perception of the world around me. And the palette and brushstrokes on the canvas are not the main thing; it’s impossible to explain how it happens.

What attracts you most to marine themes — the sea itself, the light, or perhaps the atmosphere of freedom?

You are right — I have many works dedicated to the sea, rivers, and lakes. I love painting water, boats, and ships. And everything about them fascinates me: the changing surface, reflections, unreal color combinations, the graphic quality of the vessels’ forms, their stability, the precise contours of the decks and yacht masts — and the sails!!

Many of your still lifes and portraits radiate warmth and positivity. Is this an intentional artistic choice or a reflection of your inner state?

I believe that an artist’s inner state will inevitably be reflected in their work. It’s like a fingerprint — always unique.

When you start a new painting, do you plan it in detail or let the process unfold intuitively?

When I’m working on a piece in the studio, I need to invent and imagine the storyline. But when I paint from life, I capture whatever grabs my attention — the color, the light, the form. Whenever I’m in a new place, I walk a lot, observe, and search for the right angle.

Your works are in private collections in many countries. Do you remember your first sale abroad?

Of course, I remember! There was nothing special about it — they ordered the work online, and I sent it by mail. But let me tell you about another interesting case.

It happened in India, in the state of Kerala. I was painting a seascape with a small house across from a large hotel. As I was finishing, an elderly English couple approached me and asked to buy the piece. They said they had visited this place many times before and used to come with their daughter. They wanted to bring my painting to her as a gift — a keepsake of their travels together.

Such a touching story, isn’t it?

What would you like viewers to feel when they look at your paintings?

My main message is positivity. I want people to feel uplifted when they look at my works. There is already so much dullness, gloom, and negativity around us—why bring that onto the canvas?