About

Bio: I was born in Odessa, Ukraine where I graduated the Grekov's Art school in 1988. In 1990 I immigrated to Israel, where continued my art education in the studios of Israeli painters side by side with receiving degree in medicine and specializing in psychiatry. Currently I combine my work as Senior Psychiatrist in Tel Aviv Medical Center with watercolor painting and watercolor instruction activities .

I am a dedicated urban sketcher and regularly take part in the local Tel-Aviv Urban Skechers activities. My main subject is city landscape and  I usually get inspired by views of a city during walking or traveling by car, sometimes  when there is a jam and there is a time to look around. Sometimes it's only a few moments that make me feel "that is it, I like it and I want to paint it", but usually it takes some time to explore the subject, to feel it, to find a story in it. Besides the landscape, there are also a lot of stories of people and It’s a special joy to notice and depict the genuine human interactions and  to explore the characters.  

 In my painting I'm trying to find a balance between spontaneity and precision: I want that the places I paint will be recognizable but it is also important to avoid dullness and overworking. I like painting outdoors and especially to sketch at different places, whenever it is possible.

I believe that watercolor media can offer unlimited possibilities and hope to continue explore it as a media and as a way for exploration and expression.

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If you are interested in learning my technique, you are welcome to my Patreon blog where I share multiple videos of my process and share some information about the technique and materials.

You can also find my masterclasses on Etch studio site and on Udemy.

https://learn.etchrstudio.com/authors/author-rRvswy8LCOE

https://www.udemy.com/course/urban-sketch/

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If you are interested in buying my art, please visit my page on Saatchi Art Gallery: 

https://www.saatchiart.com/irenaspector

My favorite medium is watercolor, My first encounter with it was in an art school of Odessa when I was about ten years old. The media of watercolor was considered to be "beginners staff" used mostly for sketches and as a preparation for more "serious" oil paintings. Only after many years I have explored these media for itself and fell in love with it. It attracts me for its transparency, unpredictability and the light in it.