Artist Spotlight: Yeşim Gozukara

I’m Yeşim Gozukara, a Melbourne-based watercolour artist. Alongside my passion for painting, I have worked as an experimental scientist for more than 35 years and have been teaching watercolour for many years.

For me, painting is an alchemical journey—a constant search for transformation through thinking, experiencing, connecting and expressing. I am particularly inspired by the natural world around me, particularly the vast range of beautiful coastline here in Melbourne with a strong focus on texture, granulation and expressive mark-making.

I love the unpredictable nature of watercolour and allowing pigment, water and paper to contribute to the character of each painting. Granulating pigments can create wonderful textures and movement, while softer transparent passages provide balance and atmosphere.

For me, choosing the right brush is almost as important as choosing the right pigment. The shape, flexibility and hair of a brush determine the kind of mark I can make.

I discovered Rosemary & Co brushes a while ago and quickly became a huge fan. I love experimenting with their different shapes and ranges rather than relying mainly on traditional rounds, mops and hakes. Each brush has its own personality and gives me another way of manipulating pigment. I particularly love the option of long handles. I paint standing up and work with my entire arm, so a long handle encourages loose, spontaneous and expressive movement.

I am especially drawn to fan-shaped brushes. They are not necessarily the most obvious choice for watercolour, but they are incredibly versatile. The Kolinsky Fans have beautifully soft natural hair, which I use for delicate marks such as gum-tree foliage, soft clouds and atmospheric passages. Their softness allows the marks to merge gently into surrounding washes.

For synthetic brushes, the Shiraz range is my absolute favourite. I affectionately call the Shiraz Fans my “Finger Fans” because of their distinctive shape. Their springy stiffness allows me to move a lot of pigment quickly across wet paper, while the finger-like shape creates wonderful patterns—ripples, reflections and light on water.

They are also fantastic for controlled spattering. When working with granulating pigments, I often build complexity by adding layers of spattered pigment without touching the paper, preserving the delicate granulating textures underneath.

The Shiraz Eradicators are another essential part of my process. I paint wet-into-wet without a preliminary drawing, often using bold colours, so lifting is an important part of how I develop a painting. I use the Eradicators to soften edges, create highlights, refine shapes and lift pigment exactly where I want it. I don’t think of lifting simply as correcting a mistake—it is another way of painting with water and pigment.

I also love the Evergreen riggers. Their springy, responsive character makes them perfect for expressive lines, broken marks and dry-brush textures. I even use them for signing my finished paintings.

My newest discovery is the Series 3099 Hog Background brush. Its chunky bristles are wonderful for creating textured marks. By holding it vertically and sweeping it down through a wet wash, I can create grass-like textures and naturally occurring darker passages.

Experimentation is at the heart of my painting and teaching. I encourage my students to look beyond the conventional uses of brushes and pigments and discover what they can do for themselves. For me, a brush is not simply a tool for applying paint. Its shape, movement and response become part of the painting itself.

Every brush has its own character—and half the fun is discovering what it can do.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/yesim.gozukara

Instagram: yesim_meltem_gozukara

E-mail: [email protected]

Membership: AWI, VAS, WSV, AGRA