It's great to have you here!

About me

I'm Anastasiia, a watercolor artist and teacher who's a little obsessed with sketching. But here's how it all started.

As a kid, I was always doing something with my hands. Eventually I decided to take it seriously and got a bachelor's degree in applied arts. But after watching several older peers struggle and settle for jobs that had nothing to do with art, I chose a different path and moved to Paris to pursue a master's degree in Art Management. Three years in the capital led to a successful career as a gallery manager in Paris and later New York. But I started to feel that life in big capitals wasn't for me — I was craving to live closer to nature, and I felt a deep calling to reconnect with the creativity I'd abandoned for those three years.

Then I got married, moved to a small town in the south of Italy, and decided to start from scratch as a freelance botanical illustrator, posting my work on Instagram. Things picked up slowly, and a few years in, I was able to support myself and my family through my Etsy shop, commissions, and book illustrations.

Then Covid hit, and that's when I discovered the power of online education — as a student myself, enrolled in course after course. It inspired me to start my own teaching journey, sharing watercolor painting with a worldwide audience. That's also when my creative focus began to shift: after months of lockdowns, my husband and I were craving to travel, so we made ourselves a promise to leave on a 5-month trip through Asia. We set off in 2024, and that's where my passion for travel sketching was born — documenting our journey daily in my sketchbook, and quickly attracting a global community of travel lovers and creatives.

That trip inspired Travel Sketching Academy, my flagship course helping people capture their travel adventures — or everyday life — on paper. Since then, the Academy has grown to thousands of students, I became a published author with my book Capture the Natural World in Watercolor, released a brush set in collaboration with Craftamo, and now live a nomadic lifestyle: half the year in the south of Italy, half traveling the globe with my husband.

You never know where a creative path will bring you. Years ago, I couldn't have imagined this lifestyle, or this job, even existed. But I truly believe the world shows you what's possible if you have love for what you do, the courage to start, the perseverance to never give up, and the trust that everything will eventually fall into place — more beautifully than you expected.

That's why my mission now is to teach and inspire others. Getting back to my creativity changed my life, and it can do the same for yours.

I'VE BEEN FEATURED IN:

About us

My husband Fabrizio has supported my creative journey since day one. During the early Etsy years, he was the one shipping orders to the post office, brainstorming new product ideas with me, and just being my constant moral support. Covid was especially tough for him — with little to no job prospects in his field — but he kept showing up for my project, which eventually became ours, even though he stayed behind the scenes for a long time.

When Covid ended and I started my teaching journey, everyone around us thought I was crazy for declining a dream job in contemporary art to launch my first online course, Make Art With Confidence, instead. But my husband just got to work, side by side with me, and we embarked on this adventure together. Fast forward to today: we've opened a company, become official business partners, and now run different parts of our online art school — me on the teaching and creative side, him managing everything from business operations to accounting and planning.

Working with your spouse isn't for everyone, but it opened up a whole new world for us. So now you know the Natura Illustrata team! If you want to start your own creative journey, visit our Free Resources section to get started and inspired.

JUST RELEASED

My first tutorial book

MY BIGGEST TURNAROUND

Quit my job in Paris to become an artist

MOST PROUD OF

Living my creative life on my own terms

most excited about

Teaching others to achieve the same

15k

worldwide students

1000

mentored students

350k

social media followers

15

years of experience

I had no prior experience in the art field, but now I run my own art studio and sell my paintings worldwide

"In the course, I found an amazing community where everyone was so supportive and encouraging. If you're looking for clear, actionable steps to establish yourself as a professional visual artist, I highly recommend this course."

NEHAL RATHOD / VISUAL ARTIST

"MAKE ART WITH CONFIDENCE" STUDENT

Enrolling in this course was the best decision I have made this year

"Thanks to the course, I was able to improve my portfolio and create new collections to use on the products I sell online. If you're looking to monetize your art, you may be wondering if I gained any clients during or after the course. Yes, I did, and I don't believe in coincidences. This course truly changed my art journey"

ANDREIA MELO / ARTIST, PATTERN DESIGNER, COMMUNITY MANAGER - "MAKE ART WITH CONFIDENCE" 2024-25

Now I feel confident and at ease when I approach painting any subject

"My paintings have dramatically improved. Anastasiia is a very generous teacher; she doesn’t hold back or hide any information. She also provides detailed critiques and feedback on your paintings, which is incredibly helpful. I recommend this course to anyone who wants to paint with watercolor but feels a bit frightened about where to start."

NIKITA THAKUR / VISUAL ARTIST

"MAKE ART WITH CONFIDENCE" STUDENT

I am all set for my career as a nature illustrator

"This course was exactly what I was looking for to start my career as a nature illustrator. I improved my techniques and learned the basics of drawing and painting. Now I also know how to create a portfolio, promote myself on social media, and find clients. I also love the community that was built during the course, and Anastasiia herself is an amazing mentor for creatives."

VALENTINA ARROS VALDIVIA / NATURAL SCIENCE ILLUSTRATOR

"MAKE ART WITH CONFIDENCE" STUDENT

I received the equivalent of a professional art school education

"I learned drawing principles including perspective, shading, observing, painting, and so much more! Anastasiia generously taught us what she learned in her own art education. I cannot recommend her courses enough. They are as excellent as it gets!"

LINDA HOENIGSBERG / VISUAL ARTIST

"MAKE ART WITH CONFIDENCE" STUDENT

If I can do it as a busy mom, you can do it too

"I had been following online tutorials and enjoying them, but I felt stuck when it came to creating my own art. With the right guidance, I enhanced my skills, developed my unique artistic style, and gained the confidence and resources needed to start selling my art both online and offline. Don't worry about the time—if I, as a busy mom with three kids, could do it, you can too!"

STENYA LE CLAIR / CHILDREN BOOK ILLUSTRATOR

"MAKE ART WITH CONFIDENCE" STUDENT

The course really kept its promise. My confidence has soared

"I came back to creating art after a long pause and soon realized that YouTube tutorials were not enough. They were too random and sometimes confusing, so I knew I needed something more structured that would start from the very basics and gradually build up my knowledge and techniques. I was surprised by the quality of work I was able to create thanks to the course and Anastasiia's support. Enrolling in this course was the best decision ever."

KARIN FELNER / NATURE-INSPIRED WATERCOLOR ARTIST

"MAKE ART WITH CONFIDENCE" STUDENT

The course covers everything from the technical aspects to the business side of things

"The course has something for everyone, whether you are already a professional artist, aspire to become one, or want to create art just for fun. Get in there—it’s so much fun, and you won’t regret it!"

LAURA BOREALIS / NATURE AND FANTASY ARTIST

"MAKE ART WITH CONFIDENCE" STUDENT