Watercolour artist with special interest in plain air landscape painting, member of Watercolour Society of Saint-Petersburg and Union of Artists of Russia, instructor who give watercolour classes and plain air workshops for adults and children in Russian and English.  

Artist statement

I have always felt special attraction to the North and northern nature and indigenous culture. I travelled a lot in the northern parts of Russia and Nordic counties – what initially  was  hiking and kayaking trips, later turned into  extended plain air sessions – I made quick sketches in watercolour in Norway, Sweden, Finland, in Kola peninsula, Arkhangelsk region and Karelia, and later on  I produced landscapes basing on these sketches.

I always strive to grasp special atmosphere of the place – not only physical features but the spirit of it – and for me it is very important to make plain air sketches. Often I  manage to produce completed picture on the spot.  Watercolour is a perfect medium for this task. 

Not only landscapes but history of the places appeal to me. Since 2013 I have been working on two projects, dealing with rock carvings and Aurora Borealis.  I make illustrations to the legends about Aurora Borealis (surprisingly, not only Arctic dwellers have them – indigenous peoples of Australia  also have  some interpretations of the phenomenon). Besides, I work on the series “Rock carvings of Fennoscandia”  - images inspired by rock carvings of Kanozero (Murmansk region), Alta, Onega lake and White Sea (Zalavruga). I interpret the images of rock carvings in my own way, incorporating it in the actual surrounding landscape  that has hopefully not changed much since the carvings were performed – and the landscape helps us  to feel a kind of connection with prehistoric times. 

 all images published on the website www.annamikhaylova.ru  are subject to copyright @Anna Mikhaylova