Michael is often called a “sunny watercolorist” – his airy, transparent artworks look as though they emit the sunlight. His traditional academic art education, extensive experience as a head theater stage designer, and oil painter career now inform his priority as a watercolor artist – light. His main belief is that sometimes even a pile of rubbish with beautiful lighting can become an artwork. Michael is a watercolor artist of great renown, with exhibitions and workshops all over the world, from Bolivia to France to Australia.

Michael sees his work as an artist as exploration and observation of the world and its presentation in such way the others can see the things he saw – one of the most interesting jobs in the world. His stage designer background as provided two main insights fundamental for his subsequent watercolor artist career – understanding that the light is paramount to the art and the love for collective co-creation.

Watercolor is the most interesting medium to Michael because it is the only material on the whole planet where he is not solely responsible for the creative process. Rather than working alone, he forms a partnership with the water. Watercolor flows, permeates the medium, it exists in time as an alive being. Michael works together with the watercolor in a fascinating process of co-creation which leads to interesting outcomes. Such partnership does not exist in all other branches of visual arts.

Michael considers adrenaline and experimentation the necessities of the creative process, always challenging himself with new techniques, ideas, stories, and materials. Willingness to experiment and create led Michael to design his own line of watercolor materials and release a series of watercolor video lessons.

Michael Solovyev, Canada
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