Galina Sheetikoff

I was not born in Brasil, but since I moved here in 1949, this country and its beauty has been my inspiration. Its cultural richness, its beautiful nature, the happiness that the Brazilians exude had an enormous impact on my favorite way of expression - the watercolors.
I always loved to draw and paint using pencil, oils, guache and then I discovered watercolors.
It was love and challenge at the first stroke of the wet brush on a pristine white paper. The color would thin out, the water running down presented me with inspiration, with a change in plans, with a new creation. I would let it take me where it wanted, and I succumbed to its beauty and fluidity.
From that day in the early seventies onwards, watercolors became my way to express all the beauty I see and feel around me. Watercolors are very compatible with my personality, they are light, happy, fluid and quick to change directions. Because of its speed, the watercolors give me immediate results, feedback, and enormous satisfaction. The lightness of the paper allows me to turn a painting upside down and see yesterdays creation in a new light, a new suggestion, made by the painting itself. I am always in awe of the endless possibilities presented to me by this medium.
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For the most part I am self thought, after lessons with professional watercolor artist and teachers I continued to develop my own relationship with watercolors developing my own techniques and style.
I have been working with watercolors for the last forty years and I am grateful for the inspiration and teachings from these excellent artists:
Jose Palud, Sao Paulo. -
Durval Pereira - considered one of major Brazilian Impressionism artist of the XX century.
Castellani - Enrico Castellani, Artist in the Postwar Avant-Garde
Claude Croney - 1926-1993, Watercolorist Claude Croney was born in New York City in 1926. He has exhibited at The National Academy, Allied Artists, and the American Watercolor Society.  Croney has also taught, authored the book My Way with Watercolor and published a watercolor demonstration with Silvermine Publishers of Norwalk, Connecticut.
Zoltan Szabo - Zoltan was the author of numerous books about painting in watercolor. Still in print are Zoltan Szabo’s 70 Favorite Watercolor Techniques and Zoltan Szabo’s Color by Color Guide to Watercolor Painting.

Yolanda Mohalyi - Yolanda Léderer Mohalyi (1909 – August 23, 1978) was a painter and designer who worked with woodcuts, mosaics, stained glass and mural...

Selected Exhibitions -
Throughout my career I was honored to participate in 323 art exhibits, 48 of them outside Brazil. My work received 60 awards, in medals, “People’s Choice” and “Honorable Mentions”. I also had my watercolors featured in 91 commercial reproductions.
Invited to represent Brazil, in 1996 and again in 2000, to participate in the 2nd and 4th International Watercolor Biennial exhibit in Mexico City, Mexico. The paintings were later acquired by the Mexico’s National Museum of Aquarela.

1987
Solo - Circulo de Bellas Artes, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
1988
Collective - Salon International Arts et Couleurs, Thionville, France, Grand Prix and two Public Awards
Collective - Salon International, Revin, France, award: Pallette d’Or
Solo - Foundation Mokiti Okada, São Paulo, Brazil
1989
Collective - Salon Internazzionale, Rome, Italy, award: Medaglia Aurea
Collective - 100éme Exposition Indépendents, Grand Palais, Paris, France
1991
Solo - Centre Culturel Jacques Brel, Thionville, France
1992
Collective, Honorable invitation, 1ére Salon de l’Aquarelle, Uckange, France
Solo workshop, invited - Centre Culturel Jacques Brel, Thionville, France
Solo workshop, invited - Kunst Kulturzentrum Turicum, Uster, Switz...