Dan's Papers Cover Artist Irina Rybakova Explains Her Sag Harbor Scene

This week’s cover artist, Irina Rybakova, was born in Russia and has had her work displayed around the world, including on the East End. Her lovely Sag Harbor scene was painted en plein air, which is the artist’s preferred way to work.

How would you describe your art style?
I follow, continue and hold onto the traditions of Russian realism.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I prefer to work en plein air to working in studio from photographs, which is quite popular these days. The world I see around me is an unlimited source and abundant well of inspiration for me. I paint from direct observation of
the world.

How did you get started in art?
First of all, I was born in a very unique town in Russia, where some of the best artists worked at art studios of Russian Academy of Fine Arts and the studio institution called Akademicheskaya Dacha. Since my early childhood I was exposed to the art of many of best painters of that time, seeing them painting. I started drawing and painting, trying to look like and work like “those big artists” since I was 7 or 8.

What’s your favorite time of year on Long Island and why?
Bright colors of fall highlight the calm palette of the beautiful and cozy seaside town of Sag Harbor.

If you could meet any artist, living or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about?
Among American artists I wish I could meet are John Singer Sargent and William Merritt Chase. As with probably any other artist, I would love to learn from them, and ask how they have been working, creating such amazing art works, which inspire artists generation after generation.

Where else can your work be seen?
My works are in a number of museums in Russia and online. Online gallery Russera also will be showing variety of my works at russera.com.