Watercolor from the “Nudist Beach in Painting” Series by Marina Stognieva

The Story Behind the Painting

This watercolor by Ukrainian artist Marina Stognieva was created in Bulgaria in 2022, where the artist was living during the Russian-Ukrainian war. The work belongs to the series “Nudist Beach in Painting”, in which Marina Stognieva explores bodily freedom, naturalness, summer leisure, and the human figure beyond conventional social roles.

The painting depicts nude women sunbathing on the beach. There is no tension or self-consciousness in the scene. Instead, everything is built around a feeling of calm, trust in the surrounding space, and complete naturalness. The figures rest as if, for a while, the outside world has stopped asking them to perform any role or explain themselves.

General view of the watercolor from the “Nudist Beach in Painting” series. Watercolor on paper, 30 × 21 cm, 2022.

The summer mood is conveyed not through an abundance of detail, but through the state of the scene itself. The bodies lie freely, the poses are relaxed, and the beach becomes a place where one can simply exist without embarrassment or self-monitoring. There is a quietness in this carefree moment — a sense that time has almost slowed down.

For the artist, the central subject is not nudity itself, but the naturalness of the human body. In the “Nudist Beach in Painting” series, nakedness is not treated as provocative. It exists as naturally as sunlight, sand, sea, and warm summer air.

The watercolor technique supports this atmosphere particularly well. Transparent washes, soft transitions of colour, and light brushwork create a feeling of air and immediacy. The work is not overloaded with detail; instead, it preserves the freshness of a quickly observed and emotionally captured moment.

Detail of the watercolor — composition and the expressive movement of the nude figures.

In the detail, Marina Stognieva’s interest in the movement and plasticity of the body becomes especially visible. The lines do not aim for academic perfection; they remain light, mobile, and alive. This gives the figures a sense of immediacy rather than stillness.

The watercolor was created during a difficult period in the artist’s life, while she was staying in Bulgaria in 2022 after leaving Ukraine because of the war. Against this background, the theme of carefree summer rest gains an additional meaning. The scene becomes not only an observation of beach life, but also an image of a brief pause — a moment when a person allows themselves simply to breathe, feel the sun, and remain fully present in life.

There is no dramatization in this work. Instead, Marina Stognieva captures a simple human state — calm, freedom, bodily naturalness, and enjoyment of the present moment. These qualities define the emotional character of the entire “Nudist Beach in Painting” series.

This watercolor is part of a wider series in which the nudist beach becomes a space of freedom and acceptance. The human figure is shown without clothing, status, or social presentation — leaving only the body, sunlight, the sea, and the feeling of summer.

→ Explore the “Nudist Beach in Painting” series

Artwork Details

Original Artwork & Collectible Fine Art Prints

This watercolor from the “Nudist Beach in Painting” series is an original artwork by Marina Stognieva, created by hand in watercolor on paper and existing as a unique one-of-a-kind work.

Collectible Fine Art Prints personally signed by Marina Stognieva may also be available for selected works. Available formats, materials, prices, and other details can be discussed before ordering.

Payment & Worldwide Shipping

Payment can be made via PayPal, bank transfer, or another agreed method.

Worldwide shipping is available. Shipping costs and estimated delivery times are calculated individually depending on the destination and order details.

The artwork on paper is carefully packaged to protect the watercolor surface and ensure safe transportation. All purchase, payment, and international shipping details can be discussed directly with the artist before ordering.

“For me, this series is not so much about nudity as it is about the freedom to be yourself. I am interested in the moment when a person stops thinking about how they appear to others and simply feels the sun, the sea, their own body, and life itself.”

— Marina Stognieva