I did not choose watercolor painting. But watercolor painting chose me.
I am a Belarusian artist. I studied at the Belarusian State Pedagogical University to become an artist-teacher. After graduating from university, I worked in a printing house as a designer for several years. I did computer sketches for covers, labels, albums and many other printing products. I was successful at my workplace, but the office atmosphere did not match my freedom-loving nature. I quit my job and became a freelancer.
I studied three-dimensional programs on my own and worked in the computer games industry for 15 years. I created lots of three-dimensional houses, monsters, ruins, and crumpled tanks. My child grew up. I saw that he plays a lot of computer games. My work began to burden me. I was not sure if I was doing something good for the children.
I left my work. It was a shock for my family. I started retouching and colorizing old photos remotely.
I met an excellent customer from the USA. For several years we restored old photos of American baseball players. It was a great interesting work. Some of my colorizations are in National Baseball Hall of Fame. You can find my colorings in the online magazine Daily Mail. 11:50 BST, 26 May 2017, which is a British daily. And you can find my colorings in magazines Baseball History & Art.
We did a great job. Next my customer began to encourage me to paint watercolors of American baseball players.
Watercolor portrait! Its impossible. Watercolor is not suitable for portraits. I was sure that it was impossible.
But I did not want to lose the job. I had to agree. I had some of the most difficult months in my life. I forced myself to learn painting with watercolor. I did not expect that I would succeed, but still I hoped that I could manage.
A few months later I had a product for my client. We made 96 watercolor portraits for one year. All of them were purchased by collectors. I look forward to a series of baseball cards made from those watercolors.
I received touching letters from the relatives of the baseball players. I think that we did an excellent job.
I had a disagreement with my favourite long standing customer and had no job for three months. I used that time to create my portfolio and was honoured that my first independent work, “This Wheel Needs Repair!”, was accepted and included in the 2019 IWS Hungary Calendar. I am honoured.
My fifth independent work, “What Does She See?”, was selected for the Fabriano Acquarello 2019 Exhibition. Painting “Discovering the world” was accepted for II International Watercolor Triennial – Varna 2019.
Painting “Coquette” won the second round of the competition IWS Poland 2019 Step by Step.
And also I became the winner of the Global Watercolor Society GAWA in the senior category and received a scholarship to participate in international watercolor exhibitions. Very exciting.
Academic art 19th century had a great influence on me. Peter Sokolov and Karl Bryullov. And also emotional realism – Steve Hank.
I have now a unique technique for multi-layer watercolor. I do not mix colors on the palette. But I make thin layers of pure colors on my work. I get an amazing result, which is only available in watercolor painting.
20-year experience as a graphic designer has become for me a huge support in watercolor painting. I photograph and process the photos myself. I control this process and I know how to do well for watercolors.
I had a very sharp transition to traditional artists. Painting is an element that has a very powerful effect on a person. It took me away and I had to use all my willpower to control it. I do not need additional incentives for inspiration. Yet I have to make an effort to focus on everyday things. I immerse myself in the process of painting. I love the characters I paint. I feel their joys and sorrows. It is amazing.
Exhibitions and competitions
Winner of GAWA Annual International Watercolor Scholarship – 2018
Member 2019 IWS Hungary Calendar
Member Fabriano In Acquarello International Watercolor Exhibition 2019
Member II International Watercolor Triennial – Varna 2019
Winner second round of the competition IWS Poland 2019 Step by Step
Member III international watercolor biennial CASTRA 2019
Member Fabriano In Acquarello International Watercolor Exhibition 2020
Winner first round of the competition IWS Poland 2020 Step by Step
Artwork Worth Exhibiting Award IWS FIRÇA International Online Watercolor Contest.
How will I get benefited from winning GAWA Annual International Watercolor Scholarship award:
I would like to pursue watercolor painting as a career and need international exposure for my professional growth. So far I have not participated in any exhibitions due to lack of funds. I have participated only in a few contests. I would like to participate in international contests and exhibitions if I win the scholarship award.- Natallia Valiukevich
Artist’s statement
My background:
I was born in Belarus. I studied at the Belarusian State Pedagogical University to become an artist-teacher. After graduating from university, I worked in a printing house as a designer for several years. I did computer sketches for covers, labels, albums and many other printing products. Later, I quit my job and became a freelancer.
I studied three-dimensional programs on my own and worked in the computer games industry for 15 years. During this period I created lots of three-dimensional houses, monsters, ruins, and crumpled tanks. I happen to meet an excellent customer from the USA. For several years we restored old photos of American baseball players.
How I started painting in watercolors:
My customer encouraged me to paint watercolor portraits of American baseball players. The field of painting itself was totally new to me then and painting portraits with watercolors seemed almost impossible. I agreed to the offer, I did not want to lose the job. I then forced myself to learn painting with watercolors. Within a few months, I made 96 excellent watercolor portraits for my customer and almost all of them were purchased by collectors. This is how I started painting with watercolor in June 2017. I would say that I did not choose watercolor painting but watercolor painting chose me.
My technique:
I paint using layered technique and apply thin layers of pure transparent colors on my work without mixing colors on a palette. This gives amazing results, which is possible only using watercolor painting.
Importance of painting to me:
Painting is an element that has a very powerful effect on a person. I do not need additional incentives for inspiration. I immerse myself in the process of painting using watercolors. It is amazing how I can feel joy and sorrows related to each character that I paint.
Achievements
# Participated in the 2nd International Watercolor Online Contest ABU RAWASH PRIZE – 2018
# “What Does She See?” painting selected for the Fabriano Acquarello 2019 Exhibition
# “This Wheel Needs Repair!” painting included in the 2019 IWS Hungary Calendar
# Learned watercolor in few months and painted 96 watercolor portraits, almost all got purchased by collectors.
What is the best thing that I love about my work?
I worked as a graphic designer for 20 years. In 2017 I started painting with watercolor. Traditional painting gives me the opportunity to prove myself. I felt some limitations in digital painting.
What is my idea of perfect happiness?
The perfect happiness is understanding that I have enough reason to be happy right now.
What is my greatest fear?
Fear in my work… I paint with watercolor for one year. Many people want to communicate with me. I’m worried that this trend will intensify in the future. I want to be a successful artist. But I do not want to be a public person. I’m afraid of becoming someone I’m not.
What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?
Oh, I’m not always tactful.
Which living persons in my profession do i most admire?
Sergey Andriyaka, Mary Whyte, Liu Yi.
What is my greatest extravagance?
I went to another country without the knowledge of languages. I did not book a hotel. I just relaxed and waited for adventure. It was magical. But I would not want my children to have such adventures.
On what occasion would I lie?
I can lie to not offend a person.
What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?
Our laws force me to be a businessman to be able to paint professionally. I hate to study the laws and fill hundreds of unnecessary pieces of paper. This enrages.
When and where was I the happiest, in my work?
I’m happy when I see a good result. I’m happy when I do the last corrective brushstrokes in good painting.
If I could, what would I change about myself?
I study my shortcomings. I’m at war with it. Oh, no, I do not suffer from this. And my family is fine. It’s fun.
What is my greatest achievement in work?
I forced myself to learn the watercolor portrait. It was violence over me. I had great inner resistance. But I won it.
Where would I most like to live?
I like to live where my parents live. But I would like to travel a lot.
What is my most treasured possession?
My family
What is my most marked characteristic?
I am persistent and positive.
What is my most inspirational location, in my city?
This place is near my city. This is my small garden.
What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city?
We rest near the lake. This place is near our city. We make a picnic in nature. We have a non-alcoholic picnic.
What books influenced my life and how?
I like to work on myself to find happiness in everyday things. I like reading different books about it.
Who are my favorite writers?
Thinkers of antiquity.
You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?
Oh, I will not listen to music. I like silence. I listen to my inner silence and I plunge into it. Music and movies break it. I do not need external stimuli to have harmony. I love solitude and silence.
Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?
Sages.
Who are my heroes and heroines in real life?
My mum.
Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime?
We threw our TV 10 years ago.
What role plays art in my life and work?
Art is my favorite work.
Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime?
My husband. We did many stupid things in our youth.
Whom would I like to work with in 2019?
I would like to paint the famous people of Belarus from old black and white photographs. I would like to find interested sponsors. It would be an excellent project.
Which people in my profession would i love to meet in 2019?
I’m in a very unstable situation right now. I would like to meet people who will give me stability.
What project, in 2019, am I looking forward to work on?
We had an excellent baseball project with Charles. I would like to continue this project.
Where can you see me or my work in 2019?
I plan to take part in international exhibitions. I’m studying this question. I hope that you will see my paintings there.
What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?
I love watercolor painting, but I’m not dependent on it. Creativity is inside me. I can do embroidery, garden design, painting and many other things. I am constantly engaged in creativity. This is my nature.
Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story?
Ekaterina Sava, Rukiye Garip.
Watercolor By Natallia Valyukevich.
I would like to express my gratitude to my friend Charles Mandel, who encouraged me to watercolor painting, and my mom, who makes my work possible. I did not choose watercolor painting. But watercolor painting chose me.
I am a Belarusian artist. I studied at the Belarusian State Pedagogical University to become an artist-teacher. After graduating from university, I worked in a printing house as a designer for several years. I did computer sketches for covers, labels, albums and many other printing products. I was successful at my workplace, but the office atmosphere did not match my freedom-loving nature. I quit my job and became a freelancer.
I studied three-dimensional programs on my own and worked in the computer games industry for 15 years. I created lots of three-dimensional houses, monsters, ruins, and crumpled tanks. My child grew up. I saw that he plays a lot of computer games. My work began to burden me. I was not sure if I was doing something good for the children.
I left my work. It was a shock for my family. I started retouching and colorizing old photos remotely.
I met an excellent customer from the USA. For several years we restored old photos of American baseball players. It was a great interesting work. Some of my colorizations are in National Baseball Hall of Fame. You can find my colorings in the online magazine Daily Mail. 11:50 BST, 26 May 2017, which is a British daily. And you can find my colorings in magazines Baseball History & Art.
We did a great job. Next my customer began to encourage me to paint watercolors of American baseball players.
Watercolor portrait! Its impossible. Watercolor is not suitable for portraits. I was sure that it was impossible.
But I did not want to lose the job. I had to agree. I had some of the most difficult months in my life. I forced myself to learn painting with watercolor. I did not expect that I would succeed, but still I hoped that I could manage.
A few months later I had a product for my client. We made 96 excellent watercolor portraits. Almost all of them were purchased by collectors. I look forward to a series of baseball cards made from those watercolors.
I received touching letters from the relatives of the baseball players. I think that we did an excellent job.
Academic art 19th century had a great influence on me. Peter Sokolov and Karl Bryullov. And also emotional realism – Steve Hank.
I have now a unique technique for multi-layer watercolor. I do not mix colors on the palette. But I make thin layers of pure colors on my work. I get an amazing result, which is only available in watercolor painting.
20-year experience as a graphic designer has become for me a huge support in watercolor painting. I photograph and process the photos myself. I control this process and I know how to do well for watercolors.
I had a very sharp transition to traditional artists. Painting is an element that has a very powerful effect on a person. It took me away and I had to use all my willpower to control it. I do not need additional incentives for inspiration. Yet I have to make an effort to focus on everyday things. I immerse myself in the process of painting. I love the characters I draw. I feel their joys and sorrows. It is amazing. But sometimes it scares me.
I started painting with watercolor in June 2017.
A year later I started painting for my portfolio. I showed my works in international groups. I was totally insecure as I saw a hundred shortcomings in my works. But, wow, what a great feedback did I get! I had hundreds of likes and hundreds of enthusiastic comments. This is incredibly inspiring. Now I can say for sure that watercolor painting is my favorite work.
I am working now on paintings for international exhibitions. And yes, I have a lot of new ideas.
Watercolor by Natallia Valyukevich
Natallia Valiukevich Painting
Natallia Valiukevich Painting
Natallia Valiukevich Painting
Natallia Valiukevich Painting
Natallia Valiukevich Painting
Natallia Valiukevich Painting
Natallia Valiukevich Painting
Natallia Valiukevich Painting
Natallia Valiukevich Painting
