Snow-dusted ashen trees and wisps of fog materialize, seemingly rolling off the canvas of Eva Ivanov's watercolour painting entitled "Indigo Wood." It's one of the many pieces she has on display in the Gooderham Gallery, the fine art gallery and studio that she opened in the summer of 2012.
"I only use the best brushes for my paintings," Eva says as she strokes colour onto the cotton rag paper. Having sold over 100 paintings from social media, outdoor exhibitions, solo shows and group exhibits since 2009 and 17 paintings at her first-ever showing at Toronto's Junction Arts Festival, Eva only came to watercolours in 2006 after a career in corporate marketing.
"I was always creative since childhood, sewing dresses at 11 and hanging wallpaper at 14, before painting houses," Eva reminisces. But it was her entry to the theatre at 25 that captivated her artistry for the next 20 years on a part-time basis. While she flexed her thespian skills, it was directing that allowed her to "create sounds and colours every second." When she found herself applying faux finishes to set design, she knew that art was her calling. "I was gobsmacked," Eva says of how she fell in love with mountains and rivers after taking a Chinese watercolours course.
