An illustration by Russian painter Liuba Vladimirova. [Photo/liubadraws.com]
In one of Beijing's "hutong" alleyways, Liuba, a 30-something Russian pedlar is busy touting her self-designed postcards, posters and calendars featuring the city's characteristics.
An ecstatic fan of the capital city, Liuba's paintings emanate a stroke of vividity -- skyscrapers stringing out along the flyovers, museums in artistic design, and kids playing with snow in quadrangle courtyards imbue the historical city with a modern twist and a thick breath of life.
"Beijing is a city of past and future as the fleeting time sketches the city's views by everyday changes. My affection for the city is hidden between the strokes," Liuba said.
Born in Irkutsk, Russia, Liuba decided to settle down in Beijing after graduating from a university in northeast China's Liaoning Province where she participated in an exchange program in international trade and learned the Chinese language.
A painting enthusiast, she draws inspiration from everyday life in the city. "At first, I just drew whatever I saw from time to time and posted the paintings on social media, which turned out to receive many likes with netizens willing to purchase my artwork," said Liuba.
An illustration by Russian painter Liuba Vladimirova. [Photo/liubadraws.com]
She then decided to play all her passion for the city out as a full-time designer of cultural and creative products with Beijing features.
Canvas bags, refrigerator magnets and key rings were among her design works and are sold both online and offline.
Liuba recently exhibited her work at a new year fair. A postcard themed on the National Stadium, also dubbed as "Bird's Nest," made Mariana, a British visitor, reminisce her visit to the stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
"The memories were so vivid and the postcard just filled me with nostalgia for the old days," Mariana said.
Liuba plans to publish a book of illustration on Beijing, featuring observations and amusing anecdotes about the lives of foreigners, just like herself, in the international metropolis.
"Beijing has never failed me in inspiring my artworks and I hope to pass on this enthusiasm to more people around the world," Liuba said.
