"Still Life with a Samovar" became a turning point for me, dividing my creative life into before and after.

I have been drawing since childhood, almost from birth: my father is an artist, and our home was always full of brushes, paints, and pencils. At first, I scribbled in books, and when I turned six, I was enrolled in an art studio. Then came art school and admission to an art institute, but from time to time I was plagued by doubts about whether I had made the right choice. I even considered applying to medical school, but (thank God!) I was talked out of it.
After completing my first year, I still had no idea how I was going to live or what I wanted to do. Falling in love helped me. It was our teacher, of course; he knew nothing about it, but I wanted to stand out somehow, to make myself noticed. I began taking my studies more seriously and started painting and drawing more. And then, one fine day, this "Still Life with a Samovar" came into being. It came easily, in a single day. I absolutely loved the colours. The blue background, the pale-blue milk jug, and the mandarin—orange and vivid. My teacher praised me highly. I was happy. And after that, something seemed to shift within me. I realised that I was capable of far more than I had imagined. Thoughts of changing direction receded.

I became an artist.

Artist of the Kvartira S Gallery Anastasia Bunina