Born in 1963, Patterson grew up in Ogdensburg, NY, the daughter of a Presbyterian Minister and public school teacher whom she credits for her humanitarianism. An excruciatingly shy child, Patterson spent much of her time alone, thinking, dreaming, and making art. After High School, she attended the State University Of New York At Potsdam, where she earned degrees in Art and Education, after which she became an art teacher while spending most of her other time painting.

“I believe that most of my ideas come through me, not from me,” she writes on her website, explaining her sources of inspiration. “Sometimes, ideas simply pop into my head seemingly from nowhere. Other times, some political or social situations will appear in my conversations, in the news, in a movie or in many other ways — repeatedly, beckoning me to paint them.”

“Once I realized the tremendous power that images can have to make people comfortable or uncomfortable, happy or sad, settled or unsettled, I knew I had a voice,” she adds. “I decided to use my voice to encourage people to see, think and feel – something not always valued in our culture. Awareness replaces ignorance and opens up the possibility of change. If you can’t ignore it, then you may feel compelled to change it.”

Step inside her unsettling worlds:

The post These Watercolor Paintings Explore the Human Condition appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Watercolor is different than any other art medium,” she writes on her personal website. “It’s about letting go. It’s about trusting in yourself to go where the water takes you. When you can immerse in the loose colors on the page, that is like finding the holy grail. Every time.” Having garnered multiple awards, multitudes of fans, and many students who strive to learn from her – her captivating brushstrokes seem to speak volumes.

An echo of her Ukraine origins remains as a lilt in Watts’ voice, the place where she studied classical and European artistic traditions. Her journey then took her to UC Berkeley where she received a degree in architecture in 2008. These days, she continues to practice architecture in addition to expressing her creativity through painting.

“I like to push my own boundaries,” she writes. That’s why she chooses to work with watercolor paints. “I really like the way it behaves like a living thing: it floats, it blooms, it has a mind of its own and it constantly surprises me.”

Taken by the world around her, Watts admits her inspiration takes many shapes and forms: “It could be a beautiful light and dark pattern that catches my eye, a strong color contrast that excites me, or a grey foggy landscape that reflects my mood,” she writes. “It could be an expression on a stranger’s face or inspiration from a dream.”

Her watercolor artworks can be found in private and public collections around the world, from New York to Paris. But you can also follow her creative journey online:

The post Yevgenia Watts Is Constantly Surprised By Watercolors appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I try to create images and narratives that inspire- sometimes these are messages of hope and sometimes they are simply reflections of ideas or themes that resonate with my own personal experiences. I always try to infuse my artwork with the sense of playfulness and curiosity,” Maria writes on her website.

See her work below.

The post Travel-Inspired Art by Maria Carluccio appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“A huge source of inspiration for my work comes from Japanese animation and other popular culture,” she says. “I’ve also now been to Japan three times and will visit again this autumn. I like to take pictures and get inspired and then implement my adventures in my work. I think my style is a combination of Japanese anime-style and Finnish children’s book illustrations…think Rudolf Koivu and Tove Jansson.”

Scroll down to see why nearly million people follow her work.

The post Finish Artist Creates Complex Japanese Style Illustrations appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Watercolor became my favorite technique a long time ago,” she said. “There is some freedom in expressing yourself with this gentle and demanding technique. It asks for patience and control, but the results can be amazing.”

One of Jung’s favorite things to paint is definitely trees and forest. “Trees have been considered to be a higher life form, a symbol of life and the universe, a temple or a vessel of God. They have been omnipresent since the beginning of time”, Jung wrote on her website.

“Trees have been worshiped, respected and celebrated around the world. We hug them, talk to them and marry beneath them. We plant trees on the graves of our beloved, and we protect our sacred forests.”

Scroll down and check out her work below.

The post Artist Paints Beautiful Forest With Watercolor Technique appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Many travelers use urban watercolor sketching as a way to keep unique memories from their travels. Unlike photography, that always shows things bluntly as they are, sketching gives an artist the possibility to capture a certain sight as he sees it, which is different for everyone.

Scroll down to see Shi’s watercolor paintings that will take you on a journey through charming Asian towns.

The post Zhifang Shi Travels and Captures Moments in Watercolor Paintings appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Endre Penovac was born in Hungary but lives and works in Serbia. This 62-year-old artist dilutes pigments and inks with a lot of water to create the fuzzy effect on his cat paintings. His work has been exhibited around the world, from Germany to Pakistan. Penovac also runs watercolor workshops for which there’s a huge demand.

Enjoy the paintings below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh7tiARgv-m/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoGprfuHub6/

The post Hungarian Artist Paints Mesmerizing Watercolors of Cats appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Self-taught artist Elena Efremova uses watercolor to paint the pieces of natural sceneries and historical sites, then takes unique photos of them. You need to see it!

She goes out and paints in front of the scenery she wants to complete. That way, she’s able to catch the exact moment in time which can be felt in her work. Scroll down to see it and follow her on Instagram for more.

The post Elena Efremova Paints the Pieces of Historical Sites and Natural Sceneries appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Born in 1963, Patterson grew up in Ogdensburg, NY, the daughter of a Presbyterian Minister and public school teacher whom she credits for her humanitarianism. An excruciatingly shy child, Patterson spent much of her time alone, thinking, dreaming, and making art. After High School, she attended the State University Of New York At Potsdam, where she earned degrees in Art and Education, after which she became an art teacher while spending most of her other time painting.

“I believe that most of my ideas come through me, not from me,” she writes on her website, explaining her sources of inspiration. “Sometimes, ideas simply pop into my head seemingly from nowhere. Other times, some political or social situations will appear in my conversations, in the news, in a movie or in many other ways — repeatedly, beckoning me to paint them.”

“Once I realized the tremendous power that images can have to make people comfortable or uncomfortable, happy or sad, settled or unsettled, I knew I had a voice,” she adds. “I decided to use my voice to encourage people to see, think and feel – something not always valued in our culture. Awareness replaces ignorance and opens up the possibility of change. If you can’t ignore it, then you may feel compelled to change it.”

Step inside her unsettling worlds:

The post These Watercolor Paintings Explore the Human Condition appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Watercolor is different than any other art medium,” she writes on her personal website. “It’s about letting go. It’s about trusting in yourself to go where the water takes you. When you can immerse in the loose colors on the page, that is like finding the holy grail. Every time.” Having garnered multiple awards, multitudes of fans, and many students who strive to learn from her – her captivating brushstrokes seem to speak volumes.

An echo of her Ukraine origins remains as a lilt in Watts’ voice, the place where she studied classical and European artistic traditions. Her journey then took her to UC Berkeley where she received a degree in architecture in 2008. These days, she continues to practice architecture in addition to expressing her creativity through painting.

“I like to push my own boundaries,” she writes. That’s why she chooses to work with watercolor paints. “I really like the way it behaves like a living thing: it floats, it blooms, it has a mind of its own and it constantly surprises me.”

Taken by the world around her, Watts admits her inspiration takes many shapes and forms: “It could be a beautiful light and dark pattern that catches my eye, a strong color contrast that excites me, or a grey foggy landscape that reflects my mood,” she writes. “It could be an expression on a stranger’s face or inspiration from a dream.”

Her watercolor artworks can be found in private and public collections around the world, from New York to Paris. But you can also follow her creative journey online:

The post Yevgenia Watts Is Constantly Surprised By Watercolors appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I try to create images and narratives that inspire- sometimes these are messages of hope and sometimes they are simply reflections of ideas or themes that resonate with my own personal experiences. I always try to infuse my artwork with the sense of playfulness and curiosity,” Maria writes on her website.

See her work below.

The post Travel-Inspired Art by Maria Carluccio appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“A huge source of inspiration for my work comes from Japanese animation and other popular culture,” she says. “I’ve also now been to Japan three times and will visit again this autumn. I like to take pictures and get inspired and then implement my adventures in my work. I think my style is a combination of Japanese anime-style and Finnish children’s book illustrations…think Rudolf Koivu and Tove Jansson.”

Scroll down to see why nearly million people follow her work.

The post Finish Artist Creates Complex Japanese Style Illustrations appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Watercolor became my favorite technique a long time ago,” she said. “There is some freedom in expressing yourself with this gentle and demanding technique. It asks for patience and control, but the results can be amazing.”

One of Jung’s favorite things to paint is definitely trees and forest. “Trees have been considered to be a higher life form, a symbol of life and the universe, a temple or a vessel of God. They have been omnipresent since the beginning of time”, Jung wrote on her website.

“Trees have been worshiped, respected and celebrated around the world. We hug them, talk to them and marry beneath them. We plant trees on the graves of our beloved, and we protect our sacred forests.”

Scroll down and check out her work below.

The post Artist Paints Beautiful Forest With Watercolor Technique appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Many travelers use urban watercolor sketching as a way to keep unique memories from their travels. Unlike photography, that always shows things bluntly as they are, sketching gives an artist the possibility to capture a certain sight as he sees it, which is different for everyone.

Scroll down to see Shi’s watercolor paintings that will take you on a journey through charming Asian towns.

The post Zhifang Shi Travels and Captures Moments in Watercolor Paintings appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Endre Penovac was born in Hungary but lives and works in Serbia. This 62-year-old artist dilutes pigments and inks with a lot of water to create the fuzzy effect on his cat paintings. His work has been exhibited around the world, from Germany to Pakistan. Penovac also runs watercolor workshops for which there’s a huge demand.

Enjoy the paintings below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh7tiARgv-m/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoGprfuHub6/

The post Hungarian Artist Paints Mesmerizing Watercolors of Cats appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Self-taught artist Elena Efremova uses watercolor to paint the pieces of natural sceneries and historical sites, then takes unique photos of them. You need to see it!

She goes out and paints in front of the scenery she wants to complete. That way, she’s able to catch the exact moment in time which can be felt in her work. Scroll down to see it and follow her on Instagram for more.

The post Elena Efremova Paints the Pieces of Historical Sites and Natural Sceneries appeared first on PlayJunkie.