Copyright © Irena Roman

I love watercolor! It’s been my medium of choice for over 30 years because its transparent nature allows me to create imagery filled with light. When I paint, I strive to preserve the fleeting illusion of presence, and to catch that exact moment when light's alchemy transforms the familiar to the extraordinary. My aim is to uncover the ethereal nature of my subject matter, and convey a sense of timelessness.
Irena Roman, AWS DF

Prior to devoting herself exclusively to fine art, Irena was a freelance illustrator, creating artwork for clients such as the New Yorker magazine, The Atlantic, Harper Collins Children’s Books, Little Brown Publishing, the US Postal Service, and many others.
She’s a signature member and Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society and has received a Silver Medal of Honor (2022), a High Winds Medal (2011), and the Ralph Smith Memorial Award (2012) in their prestigious International Juried Exhibition. 

Other awards include two  Watercolor West awards from The National Watercolor Society, as well as four Gold Medals and three Silver Medals from the New England Watercolor Society. Irena holds additional signature memberships with the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, American Women Artists, the Watercolor USA Honor Society, and the New England Watercolor Society. Her work is regularly included in both national and international exhibitions and publications, including The Art of Watercolour magazine, The Artist’s Magazine Watermedia Showcase, American Watercolor Weekly, Splash: The Best of Watercolor, and many others. Permanent corporate collections include the Norman Rockwell Museum, Toray International Inc., Tokyo, Japan, and The National Fire Protection Association, Boston, MA. 

​Irena holds a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston (where she is a professor) and an MFA from Syracuse University. She lives in Scituate MA with her husband John Roman, who is also an artist.