Artist Magali Lenarczak presents a portfolio of vibrant, textural paintings that tell visual stories. See more of her work by visiting her website.

“Look to the Future” watercolor on yupo, 13″ x 20″
Born in France, I spent my childhood between the Alps and the French Riviera. I migrated to the United States and am now based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

“Loud” watercolor on yupo, 18″ x 24″
I used to paint realistically until I transitioned into semi-abstraction. As an avid sketcher, I filled sketchbooks at the doctor’s office, watching my children and their friends at the playground, waiting for school to let out, at baseball practice, at the airport. I was always on the lookout for my next potential victim!

“Fragments” watercolor on yupo, 20″ x 13″
This fun exercise taught me to draw fast and get the basics rapidly! Have you ever tried to sketch a playful toddler on the run? Some of these sketches were good studies and made into large paintings. Others may never get translated.

“Mama Africa” watercolor on yupo, 11″ x 14″
Always on the search for new techniques and methods, I came across yupo, which is a non-absorbent synthetic paper. Until then I had painted watercolor in a classic, traditional way—plan carefully, work from light to dark and save your whites.

From left to right: “Sale” (work in progress) watercolor on yupo, 20″ x 24″/”Sale” (finished) watercolor on yupo, 20″ x 24″
The discovery of this new medium felt very freeing and helped me to develop my abstract style. Now I can easily recover the lights by simply using a damp brush. Less planning is involved, which gives me more latitude for my active and fertile imagination.

“Friendship” watercolor on yupo, 12″ x 16″
With yupo, the paint stays on top of the slick, plastic-like surface and remains vibrant. A spray of water and the pigments disperse, flowing and mixing creating bold, impromptu designs. The media behaves erratically and keeps me on my toes! I never know what will happen and this can lead into moments of surprise and joy.

“Metamorphose” watercolor on yupo, 20” x 13”
It is exciting to experiment and the possibilities are endless. In addition, I can imprint found objects, “charging” the image with emotional impact from these improvised tools—using scraping techniques, stencils, watercolor pencils, applying more paint or removing some which is a bit like sculpting, until my composition starts to appear.

“Line Dancing” watercolor on yupo, 18″ x 24″
The piece is then set aside for evaluation. After minor adjustments, I arrive at making the decision to call it done.

“Fish Out of Water” watercolor on yupo, 13″ x 20″
Meaning and content are more important to me than aesthetics, given that I enjoy telling a story. As I see it, painting is a bridge to the soul and a necessary tool for communication and healing. At this time, my work is evolving into a semi-abstract style.

Artist Magali Lenarczak at work in her studio
I am a member of the Women Painters of Washington. I feel very fortunate to be doing what I love and I am deeply moved when people appreciate my art.
Artist Magali Lenarczak invites you to follow her on Instagram, Facebook and the Women Painters of Washington site.
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