Nanci Yermakoff

Enchanted by "the edges where the land meets the sky or is reflected in the water," Nanci Yermakoff creates a variety of evocative – and quite literally reflective – watercolor horizons. The subtle gradients in Yermakoff's paintings are the studied result of many layers of transparent pigments, but she harnesses watercolor's unique capacity to spontaneously blend and flow when painting the "horizon" itself. A native of the East Coast, she now lives and works in Minnesota, often receiving inspiration from the lakes near her northwoods studio.

When and where do you like to create?

Answer: I’m a morning person so I’m always more energetic and creative in the morning. After about 3:00 I start to lose my momentum and almost never work after dark. Both of my working studios (at home in St Paul and at our cabin in northern MN) are great places to work - though I’d like to have more space in both of them. I love working at my Northwoods studio in the winter. The light is bright, it’s quiet, and the wood burning stove keeps the space toasty warm.

What is your most important artist tool?

Answer: What can’t you live without in your studio? Other than the essential paints and brushes I need to have a hairdryer. Since I work with the paper wet I need to ‘stop the action’ before I put it aside to dry completely. Leaving part dry and part wet would create an unwanted edge where the wet pigment meets the drier paper. I also have a red bandana that I found on a walk with my dog many years ago. I’ve used it to keep my hair back while I paint and, even though it’s torn and tattered now, it has become such a part of my painting that I still (superstitiously) feel like I need to use it - especially when I am working on a particularly challenging part of a painting.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Answer: After studying art in college I didn’t paint seriously for a long time. I’d tell my younger self ‘What are you waiting for? Make the time!” - which is what I finally did but not until years later.

What do you do to unwind after a long day?

Answer: The best way would be sitting on my deck (or dock if we are north) with my husband, my dog, and a cocktail. What are you best at fixing? I’m good at untying knots.

Website: https://www.nanciyermakoff.com