DISCOVER… Marina Kanavaki

Hi everyone…hope your Summer is going splendidly 🙂

I recently came across these incredible images that certainly add to the bright and cheer of the season.

The artist is Marina Kanavaki, the medium WATERCOLOUR… jajajaaa, you know I L.O.V.E. watercolour art, so featuring her was a MUST!!

When I asked for her permission to feature her art on my DISCOVER series and she kindly accepted, I took it a step further and asked a few more questions about her work…

So, here goes…

Hi Marina, thank you so much for giving me permission to feature your art on my DISCOVER post, and most importantly for letting us get to know you a bit more…Tell us, how far back can you trace your love of art and painting? 

MARINA: As long as I can remember myself, I was either painting or playing my own tunes on the piano. This “duality” still haunts me to this day but at least I have made peace with the fact that I will do both!

My creative activities were put on a halt during school [or lobotomy as I call them] years, including my conservatory studies, until I decided to go to London [UK] to study art & design.

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Wonderful, in my family, I was the one that painted and my sister was the one that danced, and we could never do what the other did, I think, no let me correct that, I know I have two left feet, so God gave me two good hands 🙂 

I have read in many different places that if we go back to our early years and remember  what we liked to do, that will be a good indicator as to what will be out ideal job…It seems that it was something like that for you…

MARINA: Yes, 4 wonderful years of discovering bits and pieces of me [in both painting and music] and then back home [1991] to pursue a career in a design center as creative art director.

Meantime I arranged my first solo painting exhibition titled: CHARACTERS [1999] and right after that recorded and produced my first solo album: NEVER & NOTHING [2000] with Virgin EMI.

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Your favorite mediums?

MARINA: Tempera [gouache] – Ink – Acrylics – Oils – Watercolor. From childhood to today.

In my solo exhibition I used mainly acrylics and oils.

Pastels and pencils fall into the category: “not for me”!

Watercolors I studied at college, just like all other techniques, and actually hated them because of the process. They weren’t compatible with my painting attitude!

However one fine morning I looked at my beautiful watercolor cubes and decided to have a go but in a totally different manner.

No care for the technique whatsoever! They’ll do what I tell them to or else… Happily -for both wc and me!- they cooperated!

My painting process has always been, NO DRAFT.

I “see” the image and simply go ahead and paint it straight.

If I don’t like the outcome, off it goes to the recycle bin!

I know what you mean, I wrote about it once, at the time I could not ignore the rules and observations my teacher made, but now that I am about to continue with a painting I started about a year ago, I WILL NOT CARE ABOUT TECHNIQUE either, I will just go for it…high five my friend 🙂 anyway…

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An entrepreneur at such an young age, that is admirable… multifaceted artist and entrepreneur, have you done it all alone?

MARINA: Music brought me company…A year later I met my companion in life with whom we have a musical duet [MK-O, Marina Kanavaki & Oannes] and have produced 3 albums so far.

Congratulations Marina…while browsing your site I saw another project you are very proud of…

MARINA: In 2009 I began a wax art project -parallel to my other activities where I applied my designs on wax.

I’ve always wanted to see my designs and paintings applied on different materials or items and wax was the beginning.

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Your art has opened so many doors for you, how have you managed to offer it to the world? You are in Greece…

MARINA: Nowadays I have focused more on POD companies like Cafe Press or Society6 which give me the tools and freedom of doing exactly that. They have a large variety of products [especially Cafe Press] and I just love making a unique design for each one! Ideally I’d like to be able to have a product designed from scratch and not have the printing restrictions that all these companies have. Something I aspire to…

They do have strict policies about copyright etc so I do trust them. Imagekind is perfect for framed prints and stretched canvases. Great printing quality and variety of frames.

That is another aspect that caught my attention, your use of these selling sites…I’ve dreamed of printing my paintings in silk and making them into beautiful scarves… 

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Marina, what inspires you? You’ve found a never-ending fountain of inspiration…

MARINA: Music – always.

Painting , to me is always the result of music.

Not the same case with music though.

I see no images when I write music – it’s pure notes / sounds.

This is a profound connection… emotional and personal…and it comes through in your art!

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Besides what we can already admire and acquire, what does the future hold for you? 

MARINA: Paint paint paint and be able to create my very own products from scratch, from home accessories to clothing.

Write write write, more music!

In a couple of months we start recording our 4th album, to be released spring 2014.

Wow, home accesories featuring your art!! They will serve as a mood shifter given your motto… 

“Art Towards a Happy Day”

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OK, we need some links to find all your work…

MARINA: WP blog Art Towards a Happy Day http://marinakanavaki.com/

ART…Marina Kanavaki on IMAGEKIND, her SHOP on SOCIETY6, CAFEPRESS… MARWAX, her candle shop

MUSIC… MK-O @ You Tube … MK-O official  [under changes, will be back up in a month]

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I feel so lucky to have found your art and for the opportunity to feature it and to get to know you a bit more, I have had the chance to make contact with two other artists that I have featured and it makes me feel like a small girl rejoicing in admiration every time…Thank you Marina, please accept a big hug from me 🙂 you have been so sweet and kind in sharing your time with US…

MARINA: Thank you again for your very kind invitation. I am truly honored my dear Alexandra!

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Lovely people, please make a date with Marina’s sites, there’s so much more to see, listen and enjoy! 

btw, featured image ATOM FLOWERS #24 pet bone tag…OOOOHHHH