Nice meeting you here!

Hi, I'm Ina Xi, an outdoor painter and watercolorist based in Port Orchard, a small town 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 teaching drawing and painting workshops that inspire students of all levels to expand their artistic horizon

You can learn more about me here.

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Latest original paintings

My best work from recent travels and studio paintings that are available for sale

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"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.

Classes and learning resources

  • 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. 

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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!

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Latest on Instagram

Eddon Boat Building in Gig Harbor. A historic site and a classic subject for painting - bright white building, high contrast reflections, rippling forms in the water. This 6x6 miniature work was painted on location just off Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor. And I mounted it to the wood block after it's dried. This and other Gig Harbor plein Air watercolors will be available for sale at @localmakersgigharbor festival on May 10th. I look forward to meeting everyone there! #inaxiwatercolor #gigharbor #gigharborwa #seascapeart #pleinairwatercolor #kitsap
Gig Harbor has many nuggets of cute scenes including the Trolley Cafe near the boatyard. This painting depicts the charming picnic setting outside the cafe and people buying food at the takeout window. Very few of my paintings have bright red in them. This is one of them but it’s very fitting for the scene. These small original paintings are budget friendly - $200 each only - and have gone through the same thorough process of sketching, painting and finishing. In addition to regular paintings that are sold by the sheet or with removable frames, these are hand mounted permanently onto birch cradle board. I have also applied waxed on the surface to prevent damage, installed the hanging hardware, and individually signed them with enamel paint. They will be available for sale at the Local Maker Spring Market in Gig Harbor, on May 10. I look forward to seeing you there! #inaxiwatercolor #gigharborartist #gigharbor #gigharborart @localmakersgigharbor #watercolorpainting
Miniature paintings of Gig Harbor are finished and framed, ready for the Local Maker Spring Market. These 6x6 original paintings are mounted directly to birch cradle board, sealed with wax, and ready to hang or to be set into a canvas frame. These rustic shacks can be found along the Harborview Drive near the West Shore Marina. I love how blue the water is and the interesting shadows casted by the pile-ons. This painting was done en plein air and on-site. These original watercolor pieces are $200 each, priced for accessibility. But they have the same amount of thoughts and effort that go into a larger painting. And only the best of the bunches were selected for sale. #inaxiwatercolor #gigharbor #gigharborartist #pleinairartist #gigharborart
Which painting do you like better? These are the two plein air paintings from our recent outing at Boedel Garden. I’m not particularly good with painting nature, especially trees and foliages that have more details and textures. I also think the colors can be pushed further for both paintings. But I’m super grateful to be able to paint outside on a nice day and learning from fellow artist @brycebennettart at the same time! #inaxiwatercolor #bloedelconservatory #pleinairpainting #pleinairartist
The last featured painting from the Venice series is “On the Rialto Bridge”, a less common angle of the famous bridge, but I loved the interplay of the vivid shadows and the brightly lit marble surface. This original watercolor painting is for sale as a discounted price as part of the Spring Sale event till May 10. Learn more about it by following the link in bio. #inaxiwatercolor #venicepainting #venicewatercolor #rialto #rialtobridge
This painting is based on the view from the Academia Bridge. I love the rhythm of the rooflines, the huge dome of San Simeon, and the busy canal filled with all kinds of boats. But the main idea behind all this is the bright noon sun shining down the objects bleaching out their top surfaces. The lagoon water looked extra blue that day. This original artwork is currently on sale as part of the Spring Sale event. Go check out all the deals you can get by following the link in bio. #inaxiwatercolor #venicepainting #grandcanal #seascapepainting #architecture
As we approach the end of the Spring Sales, I’d like to share a few Venice paintings from the sale collection that I’m proud of. This one captures the view of a curved canal with the San Vidal church as the vantage point. I tried keeping everything else a muted grey color so the warm glow shows on the building becomes the main theme. But turned out, it was quite the challenge to keep things still interesting within the shaded part, especially that’s a big area. There are 3 weeks left to take advantage of the spring sale event. See link in bio. #inaxiwatercolor #mothersdayspecial #venicepainting
With the upcoming Nocturnal show, I wanted to challenge the common perception of watercolor being a light and airy medium, and to explore a different way to paint, without layering and glazing - just full intensity all in one go. But what really drives me to create these pieces is to discover a different side of my hometown, one that’s more vibrant, moody and filled with colors. Some of these small towns are forgotten places that never made it to the local travel guide, or “top places to retire” list. But I love them for their down-to-earth nature and hardworking people. I hope my appreciation for them are showing through in these paintings. #artshows #kitsap #bremertonfirstfriday #bremertonfirstfridayartwalk #inaxiwatercolor
This painting was based on a beautiful moment two summers ago when a group of people were making wishes and sending off large paper lanterns to the sky, near the Port Orchard waterfront. It was challenging to paint these lanterns with watercolor medium because the background near the lanterns must all be painted in one go when everything is wet, so it can blend with the orange glow of the lanterns. After a few trials and errors, I was able to figure out the most efficient pathway of painting the scene. This and a dozen other artworks will be on show for the first time at Collective Vision Gallery as part of my feature show. It’s getting more and more exciting as the opening date approaches! #inaxiwatercolor #pacificnorthwestartist #portorchardwaterfront #bremertonfirstfriday @cvgbremerton
This painting depicts Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor at dusk. The two tall exhibition halls butt against each other and one of them has full size windows letting the warm lights out, casting long shadows of people and getting reflected by the wet ground. I found it magical. This and 12 other new paintings will be on show on May 10 at Collective Vision Gallery in Bremerton, Washington. Join us for an evening of art and inspiration! #inaxiwatercolor #bremertonfirstfriday #harborhistorymuseum #gigharbor #bremerton
This small painting is still one of my favorites from the new Nocturnal Series, because of how fluid it is and how surprisingly beautiful this random turn on the highway is! Again, pushing the boundaries of my palette with this series, by using more saturated colors and putting majority of the painting in dark value range. #inaxiwatercolor #pacificnorthwestartist #bremertonfirstfriday #bremertonfirstfridayartwalk #bremerton #gorst
Another sneak preview of my upcoming feature show at @cvgbremerton on May 2nd. Never thought I would be using bright red, blue, yellow and turquoise all in one painting, which would be a no-go in normal situations but it feels like this scene can handle it! It was the evening of the Bremerton First Friday Art Walk and we just had our first rain after the long summer. The leaves were turning red and the air just smelled so good and refreshing that evening. This is the spirit I was after. The Nocturnal show opens Friday, May 2nd and will last through May. Come join us because the weather will be nice and there are so much to see at @cvgbremerton ! #inaxiwatercolor #pacificnorthwestartist #bremertonfirstfriday @bremertonfirstfriday #bremerton
This week, I’d like to introduce you to a brand new series I’ve been working hard for, called Nocturnal. It’s a collection of paintings of night scenes in my local areas, and will be featured at @cvgbremerton this May. The first painting here is a night scene of the Roxy Theater off 4th and Pacific Ave in Bremerton. The highlight of the painting is the neon sign of the theater but what fascinated me was the light bouncing off the cars, wet streets and windows. With this series, I wanted to push the boundary of my own craft, but also to challenge the notion that watercolors are light and airy. Instead I wanted to show that it’s capable of dark and moody subject and can be so beautiful when you let all the colors blend and weld. This and other 14 brand new paintings will be revealed on May 2nd at CVG Gallery. Reception is from 5-8pm. Please join us! #inaxiwatercolor #pacificnorthwestart #pacificnorthwestartist
The weather was gorgeous this weekend and the Rainier was out. A friend and I walked up and down Gig Harbor waterfront to capture the beautiful sights. I think I counted the most number of people who stopped and said kind words to us. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe Gig Harbor folks are just nice. Either way, we had a fantastic day out in the sun! These miniature paintings will be available for sale soon, but only at an in-person event called Local Makers at the Gig Harbor Civic Center Field on May 10th. I will share how they look once they’re finished and framed. I’m waiting for the weather to turn nice again so I can hopefully go back and do another set. These are so fun to paint and Gig Harbor really has a diverse range of subjects all within 20 minutes walk #localmakersgigharbor @localmakersgigharbor #gigharbor #gigharbor_wa #inaxiwatercolor #pacificnorthwestartist #localartist #pleinairpainter #mtrainier
I almost never paint animals but somehow I felt the need to add a stray cat to this painting, perhaps because the maze-like alleys and buildings call for exploration and who’s more suited to do so than the cats on Greek islands! I used extra rough paper for this painting because I that brings out the textures of the subject and makes the shadows more vivid. This and many other romantic paintings of Greek islands can be found at a discount on my website as part of the spring sale event. Visit link in bio to learn more! #inaxiwatercolor #milosisland #milos #greekislands #mothersdayspecial
Cafe scenes of the Greek Islands are just as fun to paint as the oceans. Nothing says not Mediterranean than those blue wooden chairs and tables. This painting in a way was a study of the geometric forms and how to simplify them into lights and shadows. Check out this and other Mediterranean paintings that are on sale until Mother’s Day. See link in bio. #inaxiwatercolor #mediterranean #blueandwhite #blueandwhitedecor #mothersdayspecial #mothersdaygiftideas
A challenging painting to do for an unusual view of the Santorini Island. But in my mind these bright, white buildings against the dark, volcanic rock surfaces are just as stunning as the ocean view. This and many other Mediterranean paintings are on sale till May 10. Browse the full Spring Sale collection through the link in bio. #inaxiwatercolor #santorini #greekislands
Now we are moving onto all the Mediterranean paintings in the Spring Sales. This painting depicts the cascading buildings on the cliffside of Santorini Island in Greece. I loved the contrast between the complex, geometric shapes and the deep blue ocean and the organice shapes of the distant islands. This and many other original artworks are marked down until May 10. Art prints and woodblock prints are also on sale. Shop the full collection by following the link in bio #inaxiwatercolor #santorini #mediterraneansea🌊 #pacificnorthwestartist #watercolorpainting
It's been a whirlwind of a day! We just got back from California last night but today is the last day to install artworks @cvgbremerton Worked till the small hours to frame up everything. Now I can finally put my feet up! Show is installed and ready for Friday opening! Saw some really awesome new works from fellow CVG artists. Let's hope it's a good month business-wise! 🤞 #inaxiwatercolor #pacificnorthwestartist #cvgbremerton #artshow
Myself and other CVG gallery artists are hosting a backyard art show again in Bremerton. Time: May 3-4, 10-4pm Location: Duane DeLassat studio (see address on poster) Looking forward to hanging out with folks on the grassy knoll with a cool beverage in hand!