About Olga Novitskaya
Calm Belarusian watercolor, soft light and poetic realism
Olga Novitskaya is a Belarusian watercolorist known for soft light, gentle washes, and a quiet, poetic realism. Her paintings carry calm colors and reflective moods rooted in her life and training in Minsk.
Olga Novitskaya at a glance
- Born: 1973, Minsk, Belarus
- Nationality: Belarusian
- Known for: Soft, poetic watercolors with calm colors and gentle light
- Medium: Watercolor on paper
- Training: Industrial Design, Belarusian Academy of Arts; later worked as an interior designer
- Style: Contemporary watercolor, close to poetic realism
- Teaching: Teaching watercolor since 2010
- Exhibitions: Shown in Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Russia and beyond; “Dreams of Belarus” toured three Polish cities
- Role: Vice President of the International Watercolor Association branch in Belarus
After graduating in industrial design from the Belarusian Academy of Arts, she worked for years as an interior designer. Watercolor came almost by accident, as a gift of paints that reshaped her whole direction, and she has been teaching it since 2010. Her paintings often return to Belarusian landscapes, historical subjects, and flowers, and her “Dreams of Belarus” exhibition toured three cities in Poland. Today Olga Novitskaya is a leading voice in Belarusian watercolor art.
Where was Olga Novitskaya born, and what did she study?
She was born in Minsk, Belarus, in 1973 and trained in industrial design at the Belarusian Academy of Arts before working for years as an interior designer.
What led her to watercolor?
She received watercolor paints as a gift, and the medium pulled her away from design work entirely, becoming her focus and, since 2010, something she also teaches.
Where can you see her work?
She lives and works in Minsk, serves as Vice President of the International Watercolor Association’s Belarus branch, and her paintings have been shown across Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Russia, and several other countries.
A botanical study rendered in soft, translucent washes, one of her recurring subjects. 
A quiet landscape built from gentle, overlapping washes of color. 
Soft light and calm color define this painting’s quiet mood. 
Flowers rendered with the delicate detail that runs through her botanical work. 
A scene that reflects her Belarusian roots in both subject and palette. 
Layered, transparent washes give the painting its soft, airy feel. 
One of her paintings exploring historical subjects tied to her homeland. 
A painting built around the calm, muted colors typical of her style. 
Flowers are a recurring subject across her watercolor work. 
Soft, diffused light gives this painting its reflective mood. 
A landscape painted with the quiet, poetic realism she is known for. 
Calm, harmonious color choices run through this piece. 
A floral still life built from her signature gentle washes. 
A reflective, quiet mood carried through soft color choices. 
A scene drawn from the Belarusian landscapes she returns to often. 
Overlapping washes build softness and depth without hard edges. 
Flowers caught in soft, filtered light, one of her favorite subjects. 
A closing example of the poetic realism that defines her watercolor work.
As Marcus Aurelius wrote in his Meditations, “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts,” a fitting thought for a watercolorist, where mood and color are never far apart.