Lines and Colors art blog

Alexander Votsmush (Shumtov)

Alexander Votsmush (Shumtov), watercolors
Alexander Votsmush is a Crimean painter who works in watercolor. The name “Votsmush” is actually a pseudonym — a rearrangement of his actual name, “Shumtov” — that he adopted in his college days.

Votsmush has a unique and very appealing approach to his watercolors — part graphic, part paintlike, with skewed verticals and horizontals, or curves in their place — that that give his pieces a feeling of casual, lively structure and informal rendering.

Some of his pieces have a narrative feeling and may have been intended as illustrations, but I don’t actually know.

Votsmush does not have a dedicated web presence, so you need to rely on articles in which others have posted his work. One of the best is a series of three articles on Asif R Naqvi’s blog Living Design: “The wonderful world of watercolor maestro Alexander Votsmush (Part 1)”, along with Part 2 and Part 3.

There is another article on Scribd, and a 2014 interview with Votsmush on Art of Watercolor.

The work of Alexander Votsmush will be on display at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA, in a solo show that opens today, October 8, and runs until October 23, 2016. There is a gallery of his work on their site.

[A note of caution: if you go searching for Votsmush paintings on sites other than the ones listed here, be wary — some of the ones I encountered, particularly with .ru domains, set off my anti-virus alarms.]


Comments

11 responses to “Alexander Votsmush (Shumtov)”

  1. Oh I do like today’s post, Charley. there’s me trying to look for street scenes – and how to paint them – and you give me this little lot to look at.

    Some of it seems casual but other bits are ‘deadly’ accurate. Really enjoyed this. Many thanks

    1. Thanks, John. Always glad when I can provide a little inspiration.

  2. Now we’re talkin’. Love his work. Thanks for posting Charley.

    1. Thanks, Bill. Always happy when I can find something idiosyncratic and up your alley.

  3. All of these are fantastic. I could gladly find a place on my wall for the Hempseed Oil painting any day. Great artwork.

    1. Thanks, Rob. Yeah, that would make a great print, too. Not sure what’s available through Nucleus.

  4. These are definitely a wonderful take on “urban sketching.” Thanks for sharing.

    1. Thanks, Melissa. Always my pleasure.

  5. Pat Oblak Avatar

    Charley Parker, you have once again gifted me with astounding beauty, skill and vision. Mind blown by Alexander Votsmush. Much gratitude for this and all of the work that you bring to me that I would never have known about otherwise.
    Sincerely.

    1. Thanks, Pat. Always my pleasure when I can introduce folks to artists new to them. That’s really what Lines and Colors is about.

  6. I have found a rich collection of your art which is such an amazing paintings. Thanks for sharing Charley Parker.