Portraits by Rebecca Evans

Story by PAF Editor
July 1, 2026

BRIEF ARTIST STATEMENT

Through art, I explore self. I not only seek to discover meaning in my personal experiences, but I long to understand the world around me. I’m drawn to loose watercolor and poetry. They feel like an opposing couple, but both require the relinquishment of control. In watercolor, you must allow the art to unfold (as it will) and sometimes, find the art as you go. In poetry, you must follow your heart and sound, more than words or language. Both forms release something within.

My approach with loose watercolor allows me to explore what I feel versus focusing on technique, form, or parameters. Though to “break the rules” in art, you should try to master them first, which is a life-long process of learning. For me, it is also re-learning as I’ve lost and re-gained the use of my hands due to a cervical spine injury more than once.

Creating a “loose” portrait focuses on capturing the essence of another. This approach merges my heart with a pulse that’s greater than mine. I paint to maintain this heart-current.

Note: In the portrait of Alex Pretti, a VA nurse who was killed in Minnesota, I had hoped to keep his memory a blessing.

You can find more of my published work—zines, books, poetry, essays—at my website:
https://rebeccaevanswriter.com/

Or follow me on social media: IG: @rebeccaevanswarrior

Artist: Rebecca Evans

Portraits of: Stepping Light, Complicated, Native, Moon Hearts, Alex Pretti, Blue Boy

Medium: Watercolor on watercolor paper

Stepping Light

by R. Evans

Complicated

by R. Evans

Native

by R. Evans

Moon Hearts

by R. Evans

Alex Pretti

by R. Evans

Blue Boy

by R. Evans

Categories: Featured Artist, PAF General News

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According to the VA nearly 4 million veterans ages 21-64 report having a disability.
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In 2019, Mary Whyte’s groundbreaking traveling exhibition of 50 watercolors called We the People: Portraits of Veterans in America opened to the public in Charleston, South Carolina. In the first six weeks alone over 22,000 people viewed the collection. The response, especially from veterans, confirmed Whyte’s belief in art’s extraordinary power to communicate and connect. And so, what began as fifty portraits turned into a national mission giving veterans a means of finding whole health through art and self expression.

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