Featured Artist of the Month : Maria Kanevskaya Jan. 2013 | TheArtList - Art & Photo Calls for Visual Artists and Photographers.

Maria Kanevskaya

San Francisco, California

Maria Kanevskaya was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. When she was twenty-two she moved to San Francisco to study photography. With her photographs she aims to capture the beauty innocence of youth, the history of her native country, and the playfulness of dreams.

How and when did you start creating art?

I picked up a camera 5 years ago, I didn’t think I would end up feeling so passionate about photography at the time but a little flame was lit rather quickly, It was like all of a sudden I was able to materialize instances from daydreams.

What media and genres do you work in?

Photography. I wish to be a painter, but since I can’t hold a brush in my hand I use a camera.

Who or what are your influences?

I love to sit with the works of the old masters like Dianne Arbus and Irvin Pann,and I very much enjoy new photographers llike Brook Shaden and Maggie Taylor. Mostly, I’m influenced by the visions from dreams and everyday life, the interactions I have with people, the feelings that arise, and the films and works of other artist I know of. I try to create a different world with photography, a world that doesn’t exist but that some people might want to be a part of.

What was your inspiration for Drifter?

As a little girl I lived by the ocean. My parents had a little house on top of a hill that overlooked the harbor. Ships were always coming in and going out to sea. I used to daydream about what it would be like to be out there. There was a certain freedom that seemed to exist in being out on a ship. “The Drifter” is a representation of and an homage to the wonder and mystery of the sea, or my dreams of sailing the wild unkown.

Describe your creative process?

I’m always looking at magazines, reading books, I also love watching movies and going to museums and walking around looking for good art on the street. Doing those things is like eating little meals. The digestion of these images is process full of conversations, figurative sketches, and a lot of strange notes, that leads to the idea for a picture. Then comes getting the team together and making everything real.

What are you working on currently?

I am working on a series of portraits that mixes the human bodies of my friends with the animal I feel they represent. My boyfriend will write stories inspired by each of the characters and we will transform old traditions into new fairy tales.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

My future depends on what I am doing right now, so I want to stay focused on producing weekly shoots. I am building a solid foundation. Consistency lends opportunity and I believe that that will lead to a sustainable career as a photographer.