Pareidolia (2024) Painting by Natalia Nesterova

Nesterova Natalya is a contemporary Russian marine artist and watercolorist, born in 1978, in Simferopol. She has been living and working in Sevastopol since 2013. Natalya finds endless inspiration in the sea, particularly during storms, which she perceives as the heart of the sea, with waves crashing like its heartbeat and the wind blowing like its breath. The power of nature captivated her immediately, becoming an integral part of her artistic plots, reflecting the strength, harmony, and greatness of the Creator.

Natalya's art captures the unique moments and states of the sea, whether stormy or calm. She strives to bring her marine scenes to life through a harmonious agreement between the elements and her watercolor technique. Her recent artistic style is characterized by a limited color palette, often using just 3-5 colors, and since 2022, she has abandoned the use of white paints, allowing the pure paper to represent the whiteness of waves and foam. Her works often feature large formats, such as 56x76 cm and even 66x102 cm sheets, which she feels better convey the state of the elements.

Natalya is an Honored Artist of Russia, a Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Modern Arts, and a member of various art organizations, including the Watercolorists Union of Russia, the International Watercolor Federation, the Professional Union of Artists, the Eurasian Art Union, and the Creative Union of Artists of Sevastopol.

She has participated in, and won awards at, over 70 exhibitions across multiple countries, including Russia, England, France, Italy, China, Japan, Argentina, South Korea, Vietnam, Turkey, and Serbia. She has held 12 solo exhibitions and has been involved in curatorial and teaching activities since 2020, offering both offline and online courses.

Natalya has received numerous awards, including a bronze award at the 3rd International Watercolor Biennial in Crimea, Alushta in 2020, a silver award at the Water Element Contest, Watercolor-2020 in Moscow, and a gold award at the online contest "The World Through the Eyes of an Artist" in 2020. She also received a Highly Commended Award at the International Pyrenees Watercolor Contest in 2021, a bronze medal at the Art Excellence Awards in Spring 2021, a gold medal at the Art Excellence Awards in Autumn 2021, and was the winner of the 5th International Exhibition of Watercolors, IWS, Sare Gallery. Additionally, she earned a TOP 200 Merit Award at the IWM World Contest in 2022 and a TOP 50 Recognition Award at the Art Connexion Mondiale - Exposition D'aquarelles France - Pologne in 2022.

• Nationality: RUSSIA
• Date of birth : 1978
• Artistic domains: Works by professional artists,
• Groups: Professional Artist Russian Contemporary Artists