Julia Barminova, Cascais (2026)

With over 10 years of experience, Julia has conducted more than 200 workshops, sharing her unique water-painting technique with thousands of students.

12/06/2026

Currently working on a new painting.

11/06/2026

Everyone loves a before-and-after. But progress is rarely a straight line.

The first seascape in this carousel was painted in 2009.
In my head, it was going to be a masterpiece. I was so disappointed with the result that I didn’t paint the sea again for five years.
Looking back now, that break turned out to be part of the journey too.

In 2014, I painted some works I still like today.
In 2025, I painted some I would rather not show anyone.
Growth isn’t linear.
It isn’t a steady climb upwards.
It’s showing up again and again, taking small steps that feel insignificant at the time, and occasionally looking back to realise how far you’ve come.

“A winner is just a loser who tried one more time.”

07/06/2026

Most people think watercolour is about colour.
It’s actually about right timing.

For this painting, I never waited for the paper to dry.

Instead, I divided the sea into separate wave shapes and painted each section while it was still wet. That gave me just enough time to create the soft transitions, deep shadows and glowing reflections that make water feel alive.

The darkest blues were built from mixing Phthalo Blue, Phthalo Green and Indanthrene Blue, balanced with a touch of Cadmium Orange.

One section at a time, a blank sheet turned into the Atlantic Ocean.

The painting is called “A Pirate Past” — a reminder that these waters once carried ships that helped shape Portugal’s history. Today, similar vessels mostly carry tourists, but the sea remembers.

Swipe to see the stages. 🐚

01/06/2026

A small excerpt from my recent interview with .

What inspires you, and what do you hope to express through your paintings?

Part of me is always drawn to the ocean, its freedom, movement, and unpredictability. The sea is constantly changing, and that fascinates me. No wave can ever be repeated exactly, which is why I never get tired of painting water. Every wave feels alive, emotional, and unique.

At the same time, another part of me longs for life on land: family, home, quiet routines, and a sense of belonging. I often feel as though I live between these two worlds — one dreaming of distant harbours and complete freedom, the other seeking warmth, stability, and connection.

I think this inner tension naturally finds its way into my paintings. For me, the ocean is not only a landscape; it becomes a metaphor for freedom, longing, uncertainty, loneliness, and beauty all at once.
Painting the sea is also deeply personal. Through my work, I can always return to the feeling of salt air, endless horizons, movement, and space. Even when I am far from the water, painting helps me reconnect with that part of myself.

At the same time, I hope people looking at my work recognise something of their own emotions in it — not necessarily the ocean itself, but the feeling of searching for where you belong, of being torn between freedom and attachment, movement and stillness.

18/05/2026

Watercolour Workshops & Festivals 2026–2027

Over the next two years we’ll paint together in beautiful places around the world, from the warm light of Tuscany to the glaciers of Iceland, from the Pacific coast of California to the magical atmosphere of Prague.

I would love to meet you at one of these workshops and share my approach to painting the Sea in watercolour.

🇨🇿 Prague, Czech Republic 24–27 June 2026 Plein Air Workshop  ⛵ SOLD OUT — waiting list

🇺🇸 Madeline Island, Wisconsin, USA 27–31 July 2026 MISA Workshops  ⛵ SOLD OUT — waiting list

🇨🇦 Calgary, Canada International Watercolour Festival
Workshops:
24–26 August 2026 💌 Registration open
28–29 August 2026 ⛵ SOLD OUT

🇮🇸 Akureyri, Iceland Aurora Watercolour Festival  Workshop:
14–15 September 2026
💌 Registration open 
🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico III Festival Internacional de Arte “Ríos de Color” .festival
Workshops: 4–5 October 2026 6–7 October 2026
💌 Registration open 
🇺🇸 Asilomar, California, USA 2–6 November 2026 MISA Workshops  💌 Registration open

🇩🇪 Kolbermoor, Germany
Akademie der Bildenden Künste — Kolbermoor
Workshop: 22–24 January 2027
💌 Registration open

🇮🇹 Lucca, Italy 22–30 April 2027 Watercolour Retreat Tuscany & Liguria with  💌 Registration open

🌊 All levels are welcome.

Registration links for all workshops are in my profile. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message, I’ll be happy to answer. ❤️

11/05/2026

Colour without tone is just a mess.

Before colour, before details, before style,
we need to understand light.

In my next lesson, we’re going back to the basics:
the law of light and shadow.

We’ll work only with tone, using one colour and transparent layers to build form step by step.

Highlight, light, halftone, reflected light, core shadow, cast shadow: not as theory, but as a clear system you can actually use in painting.

Think of it almost like mathematics:
place each layer in the right order, and the volume appears naturally.

This lesson is part of my new architecture series on Patreon:
Patreon.com/juliabarminova

Endereço

Cascais

Website

https://www.patreon.com/juliabarminova

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