Artist of the Month: July 2026
Watercolor Artist and Educator
Based in Calgary, Alberta
Artist Bio
Violetta is a visual artist and watercolor instructor based in Calgary, Canada. Her practice is shaped by her experiences in Ukraine and Canada and explores watercolor as a medium for emotional expression, focusing on sensitivity, intuition, and inner transformation.
She facilitates watercolor workshops for Ukrainian women, children, and artists, emphasizing exploration and permission to create. These sessions encourage participants to reconnect with their feelings, trust their intuition, and experience art as a space for self-expression and emotional release.
Artist Background
My artistic journey began in 2014, when I worked as an illustrator and explored various styles and techniques. Over time, I became captivated by botanical art, drawn to its delicacy and its ability to capture the beauty of the natural world.
After the war in Ukraine began and I relocated to Canada, my practice entered a new phase. I was selected for the Newcomer Arts Professional Program (NAPP), where I met my mentor, Katie Green. This experience opened the door to deeper artistic exploration and reflection on themes that had long been important to me.
Although I was eager to explore more profound and emotional subjects, I initially struggled with confidence in my work. Through mentorship and participation in the program, I gradually developed the courage to follow my intuition and pursue projects that are meaningful to me. This journey has shaped my current practice, focusing on watercolor as a medium for emotional expression and personal exploration.
What first captivated you about watercolor, and when did you realize it was the right medium for expressing your artistic voice?
I have always loved drawing, but for a long time I did not take it seriously and chose a more practical path, studying economics. Still, creativity remained an important part of my life. During my pregnancy, I felt a strong need to return to art. I began experimenting with different materials, but when I first discovered watercolor, I immediately felt a special connection to it and realized that it was the medium through which I could best express myself.
When my children were very young and I was going through a difficult emotional period, I returned to watercolor every evening. The process became a quiet space for reflection and healing, helping me restore my inner balance. Watercolor can be incredibly delicate and transparent, yet also vibrant and intense. It has its own character and asks for trust. Its sensitivity, unpredictability, and sense of freedom are what make it so special to me.
What does your creative process usually look like, from the first idea to the finished artwork?
Like most artists, I constantly feel an inner need to create. This feeling becomes especially strong when I am in nature—during walks, I often stop and notice countless incredible details and visual stories around me. I experience everything around me very deeply, and I feel a strong desire to share these impressions with the world. My creative process usually begins with a need to be alone and to experiment with colors and emotions. It is more of an intuitive and exploratory state than a planned or structured process. Recently, I have started to feel things more deeply and allow myself greater creative freedom. I often turn to themes that are painful for me, such as the war in my country and the lives of my loved ones. However, I almost never share these works publicly—they remain a very personal space for processing and reflection.
How do you decide which subjects, memories, or emotions you want to explore in your work?
If I’m being honest, I don’t really decide it consciously. It happens intuitively and very naturally. I paint what I feel and try to translate those emotions into my work.
How did your watercolor workshops for Ukrainian women, children, and artists begin, what does a typical session look like, and how have these experiences shaped both your participants and your own artistic practice?
When I arrived in Calgary and realized that my children were safe and that we could finally sleep peacefully at night, I felt I had the strength to return to painting and begin sharing my work on social media. There, I met incredible people within the Ukrainian community, and the founder of a Ukrainian book club invited me to facilitate a workshop for women. This became the beginning of my journey in teaching. Over time, I facilitated many different workshops—both for relaxation and for learning watercolor techniques and creating finished paintings. The feedback from participants was very meaningful. Some shared that the workshops helped them emotionally recover, relax, and find a sense of calm. It was especially rewarding to see both children and adults become deeply engaged in the process, often surprised and inspired by their results, and later continuing to paint on their own or in private lessons.
Eventually, one of the participants shared information about the Newcomer Arts Professional Program (NAPP), which led me to connect with a wonderful local arts community. Within this program, I met my mentor, whose support has been incredibly important in my development, especially in continuing my workshops and exhibition practice. This experience became an important step in both my artistic and teaching practice.
What upcoming project or opportunity are you most excited about, and why?
At the moment, I am working on a project called “Contrasting Worlds.” Although time does not always allow me to fully immerse myself in it, this series is very important to me, and I have a strong desire to complete it and eventually share it with my audience. I would also love to organize an exhibition of my works, as well as dedicate more time to experimentation and to a deeper exploration of my inner emotional landscape.
For me, painting is not only about creating images, but also about listening to myself, understanding my feelings, and giving them a visual form.
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