1st Place Winning Entry, 2024 Watercolor Competition
Atanas Matsoureff, Autumnal, watercolor
Atanas Matsoureff
Bulgarian artist, Atanas Matsoureff, is a renowned master watercolorist who creates striking paintings of landscapes, still lifes, architecture, figurals, and drawings. Self-taught, Matsoureff's passion for watercolor is clear. "I fell in love with watercolor many years ago and dedicated all my time to this beautiful, versatile, and very difficult medium," he says.
Matsouroff's paintings can be found in museums and private collections and have been shown in exhibitions all over the world, winning numerous prestigious awards. He is a Signature member of both the American Watercolor Society and the International Masters of Watercolor Alliance.
Atanas Matsoureff, Two, watercolor
Matsoureff's entry, Autumnal, has won 1st Place in our Watercolor Competition. Here, he talks about the inspiration and process behind this painting:
"As I was walking in a village, I suddenly saw this tiny, white house. It was a beautiful autumn day, so calm, peaceful, and full of silence, like just before a rain starts. I was inspired by this scene and decided to come back and paint it in exactly that mood and atmosphere.
"For me, it is very important to show what I've painted to the viewer just as I see it and feel it; to transfer my sensibility and understanding of the scene. That house could be anywhere. It was a perfect composition, I changed nothing. On a basic level it's just a small house in a garden, but I saw it as a symbol of the simplicity of life.”
Atanas Matsoureff, For the Winter, watercolor
"Usually, I begin with a detailed pencil drawing when I start a new painting. I paint on location, returning there many times. As a kind of milestone, I make sketches and notes about each element of the painting so I can remember the atmosphere from when I was there. If at the end I have a strong connection between all the elements, and my feeling is the same as when I started the painting, then it's a job well done."