Location: Russian Federation
Olga Nikitina is a Russian artist and one of the new pioneers in the growing field of underwater painting.
Olga has a degree of Interior Design from Ulyanovsk State University (2006) – however her passion and calling is to the ocean – and more specifically, capturing the ocean’s art-forms on canvas – both above and below the ocean’ surface.
Painting under-water is completely different from traditional oil painting above-water. When I am underwater I feel the ocean energy and unity with nature, silence around - I can only hear my breathing and sometimes, the whispers of the fish, one to another. When painting underwater it is easy to enter a state of trance - Rays from the sun penetrating through the water are magical - you can see and feel that this is the point where two different worlds intersect and mix – and this is a favorite subject to reflect in my paintings.
I work at different depths below the surface, which affect the color spectrum you can see (as we know with depth we lose colors) and sometimes it is a big surprise on the surface seeing what I have painted below.
There are two channels of expression I enjoy during underwater painting:
Capturing seascapes, marine still life
Intuitive Painting - reflections of my emotions and feelings in a particular moment, in my underwater environment.
These artworks were all created underwater, during scuba diving, and I can gratefully say that I am a student and follower of Andre Laban - the original pioneer of underwater painting, and inspiration in this field.
Artworks were created underwater during scuba diving.
Painting underwater is completely different from traditional oil painting above the surface. When I am underwater I feel the ocean energy and unity with nature, silence around, only I can hear my breathing and sometimes fish rambling. It is easy to enter a trance state when painting underwater. Rays from the sun penetrating through the water are magical - you can see and feel that this is the point where two different worlds intersect and mix – and this is a favorite subject to reflect in my paintings.
There are two direction I work on during underwater painting - painting from nature, like seascapes, or marine still life. And another one is intuitive painting - reflection of my emotions and feelings in a particular moment in underwater environment.
“UNDERWATER PAINTING "Coral reef of the Red Sea"”
Artwork was created underwater from life nature during scuba diving at the depth of 7.7 meters, session lasted 82 minutes.
Olga Nikitina absolutely fell in love with the Red Sea, with its beautiful and colorful underwater life, spectacular drop-off views and magnificent coral reefs. She loves to take underwater pictures but she feels as well that it is not enough to communicate her admiration for the Red Sea. She realized she can do it only through her soul – through her painting. And the best way to feel inspiration it is to be there, to be a part of marine life, to be immersed in the underwater environment.
"Coral reef of the Red Sea is magnificent. I like to capture it on canvas, how I see it underwater, how I feel at the particular moment." And what is very interesting about underwater painting - that the colors perception underwater is completely different on the surface.
For underwater painting Olga used oil on canvas, palette knife technique, style underwater impressionism
“UNDERWATER PAINTING "BUBBLES"”
Underwater painting a new fast growing direction in contemporary art. Artwork was created underwater during scuba diving at the depth of 6.1meter, session lasted 83 minutes.
The subject of painting is a simbiotic relationship anemones and clown fish. Artist doesn't try to portray the anemon and its habitant. Underwater world is so different from our environment but when you research details you can find many assoсiation with our world. And that exactly artist wants to reflect - as an example
bubble tentacles of anemones resemble female breasts- and that was the main idea in this artwork.
Style: underwater impressionism
Technique: palette knife oil painting
“UNDERWATER PAINTING " MARATHON "”
Underwater painting a new fast growing direction in contemporary art. Artwork was crated underwater at the depth of 6.2 meters, underwater painting session 106 minutes. It is intuitive painting, based on feelings and emotions in the particular moment underwater.
What is special about underwater painting - color perception different to reality because color rays do not penetrate the water column. On the surface it is always surprise.
Underwater life for divers usually seems peacefull and quite. But all animals have their own life there, all busy during the day like in a big city and at night everybody comes back home to sleep or somebody just go out for hunting at night. In the grass underwater I love watching how school of green fish always running somewhere, like they do marathon. And their bodies with sun lights colors are so beautiful.
Style: underwater impressionism
Technique: palette knife oil painting
“UNDERWATER PAINTING "Abstract coral reef KALEIDOSCOPE." ”
Underwater painting a new fast growing direction in contemporary art. Artwork was created straight underwater during scuba diving at the depth of 6.4 meters, underwater painting session 63 minutes. Oil on canvas, palette knife technique. Ispired by marine life of the Red Sea, underwater patterns, bright colorful coral reef. Fish are like flowers or butterfly are around you, and your eye can catch only the colorful pattern like when we look in kaleidoscope. Red, blue, yellow, green, pink, blue colors. Sun light above. It brings you happyness, delight, excitement, warm in your place and goes straight to your heart.
What is special about underwater painting - color perception different to reality because color rays do not penetrate the water column. On the surface it is always surprise.
Style: underwater impressionism
Technique: palette knife oil painting
“UNDERWATER PAINTING "RED BOOM"”
Underwater painting a new fast growing direction in contemporary art. Artwork was created underwater during scuba diving at the depth of 5,7 meters, session 45 minutes. By influence of underwater environment, feeling of no gravity, colorful impression, another reality - It feels different, brain works different, colors and shapes just blows your mind and you feel kind of explosion.
Style: underwater impressionism
Technique: palette knife oil painting
