Yevgenia Watts’ watercolor paintings are a candid, intimate reflection of her day-to-day: “Art is the way I respond to life,” she reflected once in an interview with Jung Katz. It’s also a way for her to relax and share what she sees with others. “It is not, to me, a vehicle for social change or political statements,” she stressed.
For Watts, art—and specifically watercolor painting—is also a form of language, and one she speaks fluently. Born and raised in the Ukraine, beginning at the early age of 9, she attended multiple art classes and by 1996, she graduated from the Khmelnitsky Visual Arts School. Having moved with her family to the US, she pursued an education in architecture, receiving her B.A. degree from UC Berkeley in 2007, before finding her voice through watercolor painting.
“I think my desire and appreciation of beauty comes from growing up in the former USSR,” admits Watts. “Where traditional visual arts were respected and supported. Same goes for my love of old architecture: you can’t help but learn to love it when you are surrounded by it.”
An echo of Watts’ Ukraine origins (where she studied classical and European artistic traditions), still remains in her work today. Now based in Sacramento, CA, she devotes her time to painting in watercolor and exploring different art techniques. Her artwork can be found in private and public collections around the world, from New York to Paris.
According to Watts, her inspiration is varies and includes anything from light and shadow, strong color contrasts, and a foggy landscape that perfectly reflects her mood. Show her some love by following her on Instagram.
