“Watercolor is different than any other art medium. It’s about letting go. It’s about trusting in yourself to go where the water takes you. When you can immerse in the loose colors on the page, that,” says Yevgenia Watts, “is like finding the holy grail. Every time.”
The power in Watts’ work is her ability to allow a free-flowing direction and has garnered multiple awards, multitudes of fans, and many students who strive to learn how she does it.
"I like to push my own boundaries," she explains. That's why she chooses to work with watercolor paints. "I really like the way it behaves like a living thing: it floats, it blooms, it has a mind of its own and it constantly surprises me."
Her artwork is at times breathtaking, at times touching, and most often described as expressive, fresh, and vibrant. “Her art is truly unique. A very talented painter with a well-cultivated eye.”
An echo of her Ukraine origins remains as a lilt in Watts’ voice, the place where she studied classical and European artistic traditions. Her journey then took her to UC Berkeley where she received a degree in architecture in 2008. As a true multi-talented renaissance soul, she continues to practice architecture in addition to expressing her creativity through painting. Today, her artworks can be found in private and public collections around the world, from New York to Paris.
“I’m inspired by many things,” says Watts. “It could be a beautiful light and dark pattern that catches my eye, a strong color contrast that excites me, or a grey foggy landscape that reflects my mood. It could be an expression on a stranger’s face or inspiration from a dream.”
Her artistic ability is as broad and inviting as a canvas yet to be painted. Full of promise. And, Watts delivers with every inspired brush stroke. “It’s as though my words are colors and I speak in watercolor.”