Natasha Ulyanov

Artist Statement

I work primarily in acrylic and watercolor, often using a limited palette to explore movement, emotion, light, and form. My process moves between quick, gestural mark-making and periods of quiet observation, allowing each painting to hold both a sense of immediacy and reflection.

My study of Johannes Vermeer has influenced the way I think about light, composition, and stillness. I am particularly drawn to his ability to elevate an intimate, everyday moment through careful observation and subtle shifts of light. While my own work is often more gestural and expressive, I am interested in that same tension between a fleeting moment and a sense of permanence.

In my ongoing Dancer Series, I work from life during rehearsals, translating the movement of dancers into fluid lines and expressive marks. Rather than recording every detail, I look for the essential gesture—the curve of a body, the weight of a stance, or the brief moment when movement becomes form.

My Endangered Species Series and Flower Series turns this observation toward the natural world, exploring its beauty and vulnerability. Across my work, I am interested in capturing what is temporary yet deeply present: movement, light, expression, and the quiet strength found within life's most delicate moments.