Today, Zoya Kriminskaya (krimzoya on Depositphotos) lives in a small town near Moscow and devotes most of her time to creativity. Zoya edits books and creates dreamy illustrations that she sells on microstock. The first time she picked up a colored pencil was 70 years ago. However, pursuing an artistic career is not something she considered at first. As a result, she received a degree in engineering physics and devoted her time to radiation chemistry research.
Zoya turned to art twenty years ago. She started painting with oils, pastels, and watercolors again and even participated in art exhibitions. So, we decided to share some of her works with you; they’re full of Kandinsky, Picasso, Claude Monet, and Sumi-e references!
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Kriminskaya’s biography confirms that a scientific career does not prevent a real artist from developing their talents. Even as a student at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Zoya created small watercolor landscapes.
“As soon as I learned to hold a pencil in my hand, my mother bought me a set of colored pencils and sketchbook, in which I drew beauties; many beauties with braids and bright ribbons in their hair. This was almost 70 years ago. Since then, I have been fond of visual arts, ” Zoya told us.
Zoya Kriminskaya moved on from science in 1994. It was a sphere that required too much of her time and financial resources. She returned to conducting laboratory work in physical chemistry several times. However, this was when she also started considering visual arts.
“Since 2004, I’ve been an active member of my city’s art studios. For this reason, coming here and meeting the head of our studio was one of the most important moments in my life,” Kriminskaya told us.
Kriminskaya is already retired, and painting for her is much more than just a hobby. Every day, she masters new art techniques, illustrates books written by her and other authors, and actively expands her portfolio at Depositphotos, while earning income from it.
Zoya admits that she is also interested in watching how audiences react to her work. “A lot of people download my illustration titled Performance of Chorus with an Orchestra, as well as an image in Sumi-e technique called Red Russian Dragon. There, the dragon has three heads instead of one, as is customary in the East.”
You can find intriguing references to Kandinsky, Picasso, and Claude Monet in Zoya's works. And she has numerous personal stories that explain her unique attitude towards these great artists.
Here is one of them: “I love Claude Monet’s landscapes. They are full of summer air. So, in tough winter years, I would go to the museum, sit in front of his paintings, and look at it until it felt like summer.”
Zoya Kriminskayas work was highly influenced by the works of Kandinsky. She often references his compositions or color schemes.
Kriminskaya loves to re-imagine his works: “I consider Kandinsky a great colorist, but some of his works, although completely abstract, still contain elements of the external, illustrative world, and I try to show this by interpreting his work.”
Zoya’s illustrations can be inspired by a street scene, a beautiful view, or even a TV program.
She creates illustrations quickly. “Oftentimes, art that is done quickly and easily turns out better than art that is constantly re-worked and re-visited,” Kriminskaya admits. Sometimes, ideas on how to improve her work come with time: “There was one winter landscape that I had for a long time. One day, I suddenly grabbed my brushes and made two bushes disappeared from the foreground. The composition became much better."
Zoya Kriminskaya’s story teaches us that painting is an excellent tool for reflection, as well as an activity that can bring pleasure, profit, new acquaintances, and hope for a better future. Therefore, don’t be afraid to turn to creativity if your profession no longer inspires you. Your experience can be the driving force for new ideas and masterpieces.
Discover more of Kriminskaya's inspiring illustrations, or start surfing the Depositphotos platform for stock visuals, audio tracks, and videos.
