Neli Chaneva, painter, in Wellington, New Zealand

The Artist

I create expressive paintings inspired by the beauty of the natural world. Through spontaneous brushwork, gestural lines, and vibrant color, I capture the fleeting moments, intricate details, and organic rhythms of nature. My work moves between observation and abstraction, celebrating the beauty of the imperfect, the fleeting, and the overlooked.

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Latest Works

All Work

Blog posts

Grid of hand-drawn portraits from the 100 days, 100 portraits challenge by Neli Chaneva

What I Learned From a 100 Day Portrait Drawing Challenge

September 29, 2026

Drawing one portrait a day for 100 days did more for my style than any single lesson. Consistency refined my tools, colors and technique, and taught me to carry the best parts of each drawing into the next.

 Open sketchbook with a magazine clipping on one page and a hand-painted color palette from that image on the facing page

Magazine Clippings Book for Color Palette Inspiration

September 27, 2026

Instead of endless saved images scattered across apps, I keep a Color Inspiration Book: magazine clippings on one page, hand-mixed palettes on the facing page. It's slower, more analog, and the colors always end up more mine.
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