For Marta, painting begins long before the brush touches the paper. It begins with looking—watching birds on early morning walks, noticing a tiny turn of the head, the movement of feathers, or the way light settles across a wing.
Her journey with watercolor began with a Eurasian Blue Tit in 2023 and has since evolved into an exploration of wet-on-wet technique, where flowing pigment and soft edges bring a natural sense of movement and atmosphere to her birds. Through this delicate process, Marta captures not only what each bird looks like, but the quiet personality and presence behind every pose.
In this interview, Marta shares how slow observation, nature, and the freedom of watercolor have shaped her journey as a bird artist.
Drawn to the Wild
Q: What first inspired you to start painting birds in watercolor? And what is it about birds that continues to fascinate you as an artist?
A: Painting has been my safe haven since childhood, and my biggest inspiration comes directly from observing nature during my early morning walks and runs with my dog. Watercolor is the ideal medium for capturing birds because its fluidity and delicacy perfectly mimic the weightlessness of feathers and the natural play of light. What fascinates me most is capturing the spirit and distinct character of both local and exotic species, as even the smallest bird carries so much personality in a simple glance or posture.
A: It truly became my preferred medium when I transitioned to working almost exclusively wet-on-wet. Learning to let the water and paint flow freely opened up a whole new world of depth, allowing me to build rich warm and cool undertones instead of flat, heavy shades. This shift allowed me to capture the softness of feathers and the true atmosphere of wildlife in a way no other medium could match.
A: My favorite piece at this stage is my study of the Mountain Bluebird. It holds a special place in my heart because it captures the true essence of wet-on-wet technique, featuring soft color transitions, gentle edges, and a perfect balance between expressive freedom and delicate precision.
Q: Do you remember the first bird you painted?
A: Yes, I remember it very clearly, it was a Eurasian Blue Tit painted in 2023. Looking back, I worked with it almost as if I were using colored pencils, focusing on small dry strokes without allowing the watercolor to flow freely. Instead of creating rich warm and cool shadow tones, I relied mostly on diluted black, but that first attempt showed me the incredible potential of watercolor and set me on the path to completely mastering wet-on-wet technique.
Q: What do you enjoy most about observing birds before painting them?
A: I love observing their swift movements, tiny head tilts, and the subtle ways light hits their feathers. Because I often encounter birds in nature during my morning routine, taking time to slow down and look closely allows me to capture a candid moment and give each artwork a sense of life, presence, and tenderness.
Q: What do you enjoy most about observing birds before painting them?
A: I love observing their swift movements, tiny head tilts, and the subtle ways light hits their feathers. Because I often encounter birds in nature during my morning routine, taking time to slow down and look closely allows me to capture a candid moment and give each artwork a sense of life, presence, and tenderness.
Q: When did watercolor become your preferred medium for capturing birds?
A: It truly became my preferred medium when I transitioned to working almost exclusively wet-on-wet. Learning to let the water and paint flow freely opened up a whole new world of depth, allowing me to build rich warm and cool undertones instead of flat, heavy shades. This shift allowed me to capture the softness of feathers and the true atmosphere of wildlife in a way no other medium could match.
Q: Could you share your favorite piece of work at this stage and introduce it briefly?
A: My favorite piece at this stage is my study of the Mountain Bluebird. It holds a special place in my heart because it captures the true essence of wet-on-wet technique, featuring soft color transitions, gentle edges, and a perfect balance between expressive freedom and delicate precision.
Q: How would you describe your artistic journey to someone discovering your work for the first time?
A: My artistic journey is a gentle celebration of nature through watercolor. It is rooted in everyday moments, slow observation, and bringing out the beauty and individuality of every creature, inviting viewers to pause, look closely, and find wonder in the natural world around us.
Feathers, Color & Detail
Q: How do you approach capturing the intricate details of feathers in watercolor?
A: I focus on soft volume first rather than individual lines, starting with loose wet-on-wet washes for base depth. Once dry, I use negative painting around the feather shafts by wetting selected areas and dropping in dark pigment. This allows the paint to diffuse naturally while keeping edges crisp without overworking the piece.
Q: How do you build layers to create depth and dimension?
A: I build depth by starting with light, transparent washes and then adding darker tones into both wet and dry paper. I selective control my edges, using smooth blending on soft areas like the belly, while keeping sharp, dry edges on structural feathers like the tail to create distinct layers.
Q: What techniques help you create realistic textures while keeping the watercolor feeling fresh?
A: Combining wet-on-wet soft edges with selective dry-brush strokes is key to realistic textures. I let pigments bleed naturally on damp paper to keep the painting fresh and spontaneous, while adding precise dark accents only in focus areas like the eye, beak, and structural feathers.
Q: How do you balance detailed rendering with the natural flow of watercolor?
A: Combining wet-on-wet soft edges with selective dry-brush strokes is key to realistic textures. I let pigments bleed naturally on damp paper to keep the painting fresh, while using precise detail brushes for the eye, beak, and structural feathers to achieve that sharp, realistic contrast.
Q: How have Artify brushes supported your process when working on the fine details of your bird paintings?
A: Artify detail brushes have truly taken my eye work to the next level. Their exceptional point retention and controlled paint flow give me the exact precision I need to capture sharp highlights, delicate rings, and intricate details around the eyes without disturbing the soft watercolor washes.
The Journey Ahead
Q: How do you see your watercolor practice evolving in the future?
A: I see my practice evolving toward working on larger paper formats and incorporating painted backgrounds into my pieces. Expanding the surface size will allow me to create more dramatic wet-on-wet atmosphere, giving even greater contrast to the fine, precise details of the birds.
A: I am currently working on a kingfisher and plan to explore a whole series of birds by the water. Subjects like herons and egrets offer fantastic opportunities to blend soft water reflections with sharp feather details and intense eye expressions.
Q: Do you see yourself creating larger bodies of work around birds or wildlife?
A: My process is spontaneous, driven by sudden bursts of inspiration rather than long-term plans. I constantly find new photographs that capture my imagination, like my current wrens on golden branches, and I simply follow where those ideas lead.
Q: What do you hope always remains at the heart of your work?
A: I hope to always keep the genuine joy of painting and that feeling of awe when looking at birds. no matter how much my technique grows, i just want my paintings to feel alive, fresh, and full of honest emotion.
Marta’s paintings are a reminder that wonder often lives in the smallest moments. A fleeting glance, a subtle movement, or a few feathers catching the morning light can become something worth stopping for.
Through watercolor, she turns these quiet encounters into moments that invite us to look a little closer—and appreciate the beauty already moving around us.
Sometimes, seeing something clearly begins with simply slowing down enough to notice it.
Want to see more from Marta? Find her here:
Marta's Instagram
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