About

Neli Chaneva is a semi-abstract painter based in Wellington, New Zealand. She paints nature in acrylic: landscapes, flowers, coral reefs and whatever else catches her eye outdoors.

I've spent the last 20 years as a digital artist, mostly making art for games. But I trained in traditional media, and painting has always been the place I come back to. Over the last year it has grown from something I did on the side into a real part of my life.

Nature is what I paint most. I like to work quickly and keep things light and loose, almost like a sketch. Most of my paintings are done in one go, and I often leave little strips of white canvas showing at the end. I like that they look fresh and a bit unfinished.

Drawing has always been my first love, and it shows up in my paintings too. I use line to give them direction and movement, so your eye travels through the picture.

I also love drawing portraits of people, trying out new materials and dabble in all kinds of of artsy stuff. I write about some of those experiments, on my blog.

I grew up in Bulgaria, and now I live and paint in Wellington with my partner and our two dogs. New Zealand is home.

You can see my paintings here. If you have a question, or just want to say hello, please send me a message here. I'd love to hear from you.