Artist biography

ARTIST BIO

   Irina is a Sammamish, WA based watercolor artist who was born and raised in Siberia. From a young age, she had a passion for painting, but she started to formally learn art only at the age of 28. She earned a Master's degree in Natural Resources and Environment in 2001, and later graduated from a private art school. Right after that Irina started to teach art and watercolor to kids and adults.

In 2015, Irina moved to the United States with her family and continued to develop her artistic skills as a self-taught artist, learning figure drawing, portraiture, oil painting, and calligraphy.

    Exhibition experience since 2015. Milestones are: 

October 2024 "Crow and raven" third annual exhibition at the Red sky gallery, Bothell, Wa 

August - September 2024 "Invitational Ties" group show in Magnuson Park Gallery, Seattle 

July 2024 Miniature Show at Parklane Gallery Kirkland, Wa

January-March 2024 Solo show at the 

Cheryl Sallee Gallery, Auburn, Wa

November, December 2023 - “Winter Show of Small Works and Miniatures” at Parklane Gallery, Kirkland, Wa

October 2023 - "Crow and raven" exhibition at the Red sky gallery, Bothell, Wa 

August 2022 - exhibition-competition, "Elemental," Speedball Art and Iredell Arts Council, NC

July 2022  - one of the winning artists of the month by ART from HEART CIC, a London,  UK based non-profit organization. Post is here

2021 - SCVWS Member Fall Show

“Every Leaf Speaks Bliss To Me”, USA

2021 - SCVWS 53rd Annual Member Show, California; 

2018 - online exhibition Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery, USA ( honorable mention and two noteworthy)

 

2017 - online exhibition-competition of Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery,  USA (4th place and two noteworthy)

Artist statement

As an artist, I am constantly in search of the beauty and poetry that exists within our everyday lives. Inspired by nature, I strive to capture the essence of these overlooked moments, and meaningful still-lifes and landscapes of Dutch painters give me a sense of the importance of simple things that surround us.

Watercolor is my preferred medium because it brings a sense of unpredictability and transience to my work, much like the ever-changing nature of life. Each stroke of the brush adds another layer to my artistic vision, creating an ongoing narrative that is part of a larger work.

Ultimately, my goal as an artist is to invite others to see the world around them in a new way. Through my art, I hope to create a dialogue about the value of slowing down and being present.