Irina Troitskaya

Right there that's the postman sleeping in the sand

There's no such word as "serendipity" in Russian. The dictionary offers intuition instead, but it's not exactly the same. I like the fact many discoveries which change the world where made hand by hand with serendipity. You can't actually go and say: "Ok, I'm going to invent penicillin, or post-it notes or find the white noise, etc." All you can do is work and be attentive to details and be able to observe and detect what's going on. It happens while you're busy with something else.

So when I got an invitation to take part in this project I was also busy with other projects and it was sort of unexpected discovery in my mail box. Together with Lina Khesina, Galya Panchenko, Zhenya Barinova, Olesya Shchukina and others we made a set of 18 postcards about serendipity. Now I've got them printed! The paperstock is nice and I like the delicate embossing on the cover. It was published by Print-o-holic in St.Petersburg and I'm grateful for what they've done.

Back to work now. As fortunate discoveries tend to happen while we're looking for something else.

From the aeroplane over the sea

Made my living environment a bit more cheerful the other night. The exhibition's opening was incredibly quiet and deserted as it happened an hour after midnight. I called it "My Neighborhood" and put 13 portraits on the walls.

I also put a blank piece of paper and asked to make a portrait of the neighbor number fourteenth. Unknown someone put down the exhibition's name and credits and replaced my blank with a picture of Tyrrhenian sea instead. I live by the sea! In the center of Moscow! My dream finally came true.

Also I have one more potentially pleasant neighborhood. Somebody is trying to play with the audience too. It seems people were happy to take part as I made these shots one by one during less then 24 hours. We do need more smiles in the streets, yes, please.

Nice to meet you stranger. Could be a dialogue!

The simplicity of solitude its a hard thing to perfect

Last week was the opening of Evgeny Monin's exhibition here in Moscow. So happy. Spent an hour and a half there and seems it wasn't enough.

1, 2, 3 and many more.

My whole world surrounds you

Ok, I guess for you it's nothing special, but I spent nearly half of my childhood there. Dacha.

Tomorrow off to Latvian forests.

And will he celebrate with fire and brimstone

I told ya I'll be famous. Not in Russia, which is obvious. Anyway. Was working on some secret project a while ago. Didn't think it'll work. And here it is! This April Leo Burnett Dubai won a few awards for their works including the National Geographic poster ad where my matryoshka dolls took part. Woohoo! I'd like to thank you all the Leo Burnett Dubai team! They've trusted me and had a lot of patience while I was struggling to get the blanks first and then trying to deal with the delivery guys. To send four dosens of matryoshkas from Russia with love looks kinda suspicious. Ha-ha! So! Thank you!

Remember spring swaps snow for leaves

The winter was awesome! Yep! We rented a studio, saw roe deers in Latvian forests, I finished to work on several big projects for advertising agencies, moved to a newer apartments in the center of the city, started a new activity which has no connection with illustration and I love it. Running out of words now. Ah! Updated my portfolio. Looking forward to spring.

The mail came from miles away, the postal man is always late and we wait

Can't blame myself. The real life is much more interesting than the blogging one. Have so many things going. Just finished the project for Leo Burnett Dubai. Hope I'll have a chance to publish it quite soon. Also updated my editorial with some new illos.

This got to be Spanish issue by all means. My lovely girls Elvira and Mar sent me their packages.

Can't remember if I mentioned the one from Blanca I've got so long ago. Anyway, that red guy is on my kitchen's wall right now.

Happy mailing!

Looking towards the future, we were begging for the past

Usually I'm terribly late with all the announcements. Let's try and fix it. This week our Tzeh illustrators community will launch the exhibition 100 Legends of Ararat.

The opening will take place on 27th of November, 18:00, Dom cultural centre, Bolshoi Ovchinnikovskiy per., 24-4. Welcome!

To hear the 59 sound coming through my Grandfathers radio

Published a book with my illos inside. Well, it was kinda collaboration between three of us. I worked together with Nadya Suvorova and Zina Surova. It was tough, because I needed to produce around forty small illustrations in quite a short period of time. I remember I have three ongoing projects those times, which means I had to draw around fifty five illos in general. Have to admit it was a single instance in my practice for now.

Crazy stuff from Japan:
Anatomical illustrations from Edo
Vintage Tokyo subway posters
Adverts for drinks and smokes 1894-1954

But look at all the happy things that happen by accident

© www.exquisitebook.com

It's out now! Can't believe that! In the beginning I though it'll be a nice project, but didn't expect it'll continually gain in scope! Talking about The Exquisite Book made by ALSO's members Jenny Volvovski, Matt Lamothe and Julia Rothman.

The book based on the Surrealist game called the Exquisite Corpse. It's a modified version of the game, played by one hundred (!) contributing contemporary fine artists, illustrators, designers and comic artists. And I'm one of them.

The rules were quite simple. You get an image from an artist who's picture is on the left from yours, look at it and continue the horizon line through your own picture. Not too clear explanation, but at the end the horizon line bends all the pictures together.

© www.exquisitebook.com

Each chapter is folded so that it forms a banner that consists of 5 different artworks. I didn't see the book myself yet, but sure it looks lovely. Gave an interview to Amy from Pikaland about the process.

Still not sure why did they choose my illo to put on the front of The Exquisite Sketchbook. Anyway! Enjoy!

There're also archival, bamboo mounted prints available in the shop. Looks lovely.