Ina Xi Watercolors

Art for nature lovers and culture travelers. 

Nice meeting you here!

Hi, I'm Ina Xi, an outdoor painter and watercolorist based in the Pacific Northwest. With a multi-cultural background and an adventurous spirit, I search for harmony between nature, culture and human elements through my work, striving to capture the fleeting beauty of a cherished moment or place.

Besides traveling and painting, I enjoy making hand-crafted products. You can find a number of unique gifts here in my store.

You can learn more about me here.

"The next best thing to being at the seacoast is owning a watercolor painting by Ina Xi. Her works capture the essence of the salt seas and their bays, whether at Istanbul, Venice, or San Francisco. Her paintings are a vital part of our collection of local art."

- Alison S.L.

  • Free online resources

    I post regular videos on my YouTube channel from watercolor techniques, painting demonstrations to travel inspiration. I strive to be informative and inspiring with my teaching. If you find my videos helpful, be sure to like or subscribe!

  • In-person group lessons

    I currently teach beginner watercolor classes in Port Orchard, Washington. Schedules of group classes are posted in the link below. To get notified of upcoming classes, follow me on Facebook page or subscribe to my Email newsletter

  • Teaching request

    I offer both in-person and online classes on demand. If you are seeking to advance your skill, or you are an organization interested in having me as a teacher, please use the link below to submit your teaching request. 

    Submit teaching request 

Commission artwork

Be it your favorite travel memory, your childhood home, or a place that reminds you of someone special, I'm honored to help you bring it to life!

Click "Learn more about commission" to see my standard process, example subjects and submit your project request. Consultation and quotation are always free!

Learn more about commission

Latest on Instagram

Solo show 'Search for Harmony' is now open! Allow yourself a moment of peace to immerse in the beauty of Puget Sound through this extensive painting series. The installation and narrative of the show is exceptional thanks to #barlowgallery  #tacomaartmonth #tacomaopenstudiotour #inaxiwatercolor #watercolorpainting #watercolorexhibition #pugetsoundartist
I delivered 40 original artworks to @barlowgallery yesterday for the solo show opening this weekend. Seeing all of them laid out like that gives me chills, which feels strange because I always I'm still too new to the art scene. But this changes perspectives! I can say yes I'm proud of what I have created so far. But I'm more appreciative of those who see my potential and find something special in my work. And that includes the faithful folks at Barlow Gallery. You guys are my motivation and I thank you! So yes, come over to Barlow Galleru this Friday and Saturday evening for lovely conversations, company, wine and snacks, and live painting demo! This is the biggest culmination of all my art of the beautiful Puget Sound and probably one of the most complete collection of the Puget Sound landmarks itself, from the more famous #snoqualmiefalls #mtrainiernationalpark to the charming local streets of #poulsbo and #leavenworth snapshots of #westport fishermen at work, and our operational tall ship #ladywashington gets her own painting too. #pleinairpainting #inaxiwatercolor #tacomaart #tacomaartsmonth #pugetsound #pacificnorthwestartist
I was vending at the Farmer's market the other day. It was very slow (broke my worst sale record, yay! 😅 ). But the weather was gorgeous and it would be a crime not to take advantage of it. So I used the time to finally finish painting the Römerberg that I started 3 months ago lol. I don't use a lot of purple hues in most of my work but feels like this one needed it. It was a dusk scene, but using typical cool blue shadows would make it feel too cold and not approachable. I wanted it to feel cozy and that the night is just starting! 

#frankfurt #romerberg #roemerberg #germanylandmark #frankfurtlandmark #romer #roemer #landmark #watercolorpainting #pleinairpainting #pleinairart #europearchitecture
With fall approaching, I'm in the mood of using more warm colors in my paintings. Also wanted to challenge myself to convey the fall feeling without painting a bunch of leaves. The lowering angle of the sun in the fall creates a glowing effect at dusk, which was what I tried to convey with the Seattle skyline painting. The warm glow after sunset is another feature of the fall lighting and that's what I was striving for with the Winslow Wharf scene. Of course, that touch of yellow and orange woven into the evergreen forest is such an iconic backdrop of all in the West Washington area. We do have one of the best fall vibes here in the Pacific Northwest! 

#westwashingtong #pleinairpainting #watercolorpainting #fallcolor #fallseason #fallvibe #fallaesthetics #pugetsound #pacificnorthwestart
Announcing a brand new collection and show opening at Vulca's Mediterranean market in Bremerton. This collection features scenes of Greek Islands and their sunlit cliffs. Vulca  is a beloved local store that carries high quality produce, both imported and locally sourced. 

#artshow #bremertonfirstfriday #meditteraneanpainting #greekisland #aegensea
I'm honored to be the featured artist of October at Barlow Gallery, and my full collection of the Pacific Northwest paintings will be on view throughout the month. Reception nights are Oct 11 & 12 (Fri & Sat) and I will be doing a live painting demo on both days! Come sip some wine and check out the exciting new gallery in town! 

 #barlowgallery #artshow #pacificnorthwestpainting #pacificnorthwestart #inaxiwatercolor
Fun paint-out day with @redheadartist101 at Olalla Bay last week, although by the end we were roasted and ready to jump into the bay! I totally forgot to film my work too. But What makes the final paintings so lovely was the cheerful mood and people thoroughly enjoying themselves all around us. Those Italian soda at @olallabaymarketandlanding sure feel good afterwards! Also learned from a local who was driving by that the bluff we were painting used to be a logging facility and long before that a native American dwelling site. #olallabay #olallabaymarket #olalla #localhistory #pleinairpainting #pleinairpainter
A small painting titled "Getting street food", was born after searching in my childhood memories, back when street vending was still tolerated in the city of Shanghai. PleinAir Salon said it was part of their top 100th finalist for the July issue. Thank you Plein Air Magazine!

#inaxiwatercolor #pleinairsalon #pleinairmag #artcompetition2024 #artcompetition #onlineartcompetition #paintingcompetition #drawingcompetition #pleinairsalonartcompetition
Happy Labor Day weekend!
#pleinairpainting #watercolorpainting #pleinairartist #pioneersquare #pioneersquareseattle #urbansketching #urbansketchers #urbansketch
Ocean Shores Beach. Ocean Shores is a harsh beach. It can get stormy even in the middle of summer. But that's Pacific Northwest beauty for you. In this painting I aimed to capture the feeling of after the rain on the beach – wet sand, peeking blue sky, people eager to get out and stretch their legs. #oceanshores #watercolor
A quick, small format painting of a view inside the Venice #biennale. Tried depicting a white bridge entirely out of negative shapes and I think it's working. I found the La Gardenia area especially peaceful. #watercolorpainting #pleinairpainting #venicebiennale
Some of my best new paintings, featuring scenes from my past and recent trips - Siena, Mt. Rainier, Banff National Park and San Francisco. Framed and ready to go for the Bainbridge Island Studio Tour. It starts tomorrow. Get your map on! https://bistudiotour.com/map/ #bistudio #bistudiotour #siena #mtrainier #dolorespark #banffnationalpark #bainbridgeisland #bainbridgeislandlife #watercolorpainting #pleinairpainter
These heavy duty sail canvas totes featuring my paintings of local sceneries are only available through the Bainbridge Island tour this Friday through Sunday. Stop by Elizabeth VanDuine's studio during the tour to collect them. Each one is hand signed with permanent paint and the whole bag is machine washable #bistudiotour #kingston #poulsbo #bainbridgeisland #eagleharbor #sailboats #watercolorpainting
Come to Elizabeth VanDuine Studio on Aug 9, 10, 11 (10-6pm) to meet nine talented local artists, shop special edition artwork, and see their creative process up close! Artwork shown belong to @danaharrisseeger @elizabethvanduinepapercuts @twodogstudio Mary Edwards @inabear #bistudiotour #bistudio #artwalk #openstudio
Come to Elizabeth VanDuine Studio on Aug 9, 10, 11 (10-6pm) to meet nine talented local artists, shop special edition artwork, and see their creative process up close! #bistudiotour #bistudio #artwalk #openstudio  @brycebennettart @deborahmiltonarts @erindelargy @bdpowers @inabear
Steampunk vibe from head to toe! Painting at the amazing Georgetown Steam Plant with the Plein Air group of the Northwest Watercolor Society. What a special place and inspiration filled day! #NWWS #steampunk #pleinairwatercolor #pleinairpainting 

Music from #Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/simon-folwar/a-creative-mind
Making some limited edition merchs for my upcoming exhibition at the Bainbridge Island Studio Tour (@bistudiotour). The idea of walking from one artist studio to another in the wooded Bainbridge neighborhoods sounds quite appealing, don’t you think?
July garden is filled with colors, with #lily taking over the center stage and many #coolflower still in bloom. Working hard over here to keep everything watered and fed in this heat wave, but it's worth all the efforts when you get fresh bouquets from your own garden! #cutflowergardening #flowerarrangement #bouquetideas #flowerarranging Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/shuko/summer-breeze
Excited to announce Barlow Gallery now represents me in Tacoma! Barlow has a wide range of artists' work on rotation through their physical and virtual exhibitions. They also offer high quality reproductions on demand. But I'm most impressed by the profile page they crafted for every artist they represent. Here is mine https://barlowgallery.com/artist/ina-xi  Thank you Ron and Rachel! #barlowgallery