Artist's Projects

Irena Spector is a watercolour artist and urban sketcher. She uses watercolour alongside drawing and other water-soluble materials to capture the atmosphere and human stories of a place. Her sketches move between broad washes, expressive lines and carefully chosen details.

Based in Tel Aviv, Irena teaches in-person workshops and leads regular live online sketching sessions. She received the Urban Sketchers Reportage Grant in 2023 for Jaffa Flea Market Stories and gave demonstrations at the Urban Sketchers Symposiums in Buenos Aires in 2024 and Toulouse in 2026. Her work is featured in Stephanie Bower’s book The World of Urban Sketching and in Pratique des Arts.

In her teaching, Irena offers a structured way to begin with broad forms, simplify a complex scene and gradually find the details that make a sketch personal. She encourages participants to observe closely, work with confidence and tell stories in their own visual language.

Social media and website

Instagram
Website
YouTube

Student testimonials

Thanks to Irena’s clear demonstrations and thoughtful guidance, even participants with little experience felt supported. The retreat was intensive, inspiring, and full of meaningful artistic discovery. — Alina P.-Y.

I often don’t know how to begin, and Irena’s approach made the process clear and approachable. The structure gave me confidence and encouraged me to experiment more. — Johanna

Seeing how Irena combines pencil and watercolor so fluidly changed how I approach sketching. Her way of teaching feels generous and inspiring. — Maria S.

Irena creates a focused yet relaxed learning atmosphere. Her explanations are precise and easy to follow, and even complex subjects feel accessible while leaving space for personal expression. — Retreat participant, August 2026

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Selected publications and profiles

Featured in Stephanie Bower’s book The World of Urban Sketching
Between Two Banks, featured in Pratique des Arts
Jaffa Flea Market Stories, reportage created with the 2023 Urban Sketchers Reportage Grant
Article in Drawing Attention, June 2023