World’s Best Watercolor Portraitists: CHRISTIAN, MARTINEZ-PEREZ, LEIMKUELLER, MERLINO, KOTLIAROVA, RODIGAS, OTTERSTEDT, TCHAKIRIDES & GROSSBERG / 2025 Art Collectors Choice Awards
Artists from 49 countries competed in the 2025 ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS. 15 international art collectors scored 50 categories of online images covering drawing, painting, sculpture, digital and photography.
The winning works will be revealed in this column one category at a time.
The ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS winners in CATEGORY 3. WATERCOLOR — FIGURE represent FRANCE, USA, AUSTRIA, SWEDEN & GERMANY.
BIO of 1st Place Winner: Raphael Christian
Residing in the Arve Valley, at the heart of the French Alps, I draw my inspiration from the natural beauty that surrounds me, as well as from the expression of the human figure in all its emotional states.
Fascinated by the subtle interaction between water and pigment, I strive to explore and translate my own “reality” through the transparency and unpredictability of watercolor. This technique, with its spontaneity and independent nature, demands quick and bold decisions while also inviting patience and letting go — qualities I have learned over time.
Watercolor allows me to be fully present, to observe meticulously, and to capture the soul of my subject beyond its physical appearance.
My international professional journey has enriched my artistic approach. Having worked as a designer/graphic artist, interpreter, air dispatcher, and teacher in the United States, Armenia, and Europe, each of these experiences has shaped my creative vision. My studies at the Gyumri School of Fine Arts were abruptly interrupted by the devastating 1988 earthquake, a turning point that reinforced in me the urgency of living fully and channeling all my energy into art.
Since 2015, I have devoted myself entirely to painting, with a particular focus on watercolor. My art is a constant quest to uncover the invisible worlds hidden within clichés and everyday realities.
I seek to transform each subject into a visual poetry that resonates with the observer’s subconscious. My sensitivity finds its ultimate expression in the light and subtle nuances that only watercolor can offer, making each piece an invitation to dream and feel. www.raphaelchristian.com
WINNER WEBSITES: CATEGORY 3. WATERCOLOR — FIGURE
1st Place RAPHAEL CHRISTIAN FRANCE www.raphaelchristian.com “30 More Minutes” 30x40cm Watercolor.
2nd Place — Tie CATHERINE MARTINEZ-PEREZ USA https://www.cmpstudiosllc.com/ “Nehemiah / No, I Don’t Wanna “ 20.5x28” Watercolor on paper.
2nd Place — Tie TATIANA LEIMKUELLER USA/AUSTRIA https://mysculptureanddrawings.tilda.ws/portfolio “Daffodils” 50x30cm Watercolor on paper.
3rd Place — Tie JOHN MERLINO USA www.merlino-creations.square.site “By The Elm” 24x21.75" Watercolor.
3rd Place — Tie TATIANA KOTLIAROVA SWEDEN art.tk@outlook.com “Serenity” 38x56cm Watercolor on paper.
4th Place — Tie TATIANA LEIMKUELLER USA/AUSTRIA https://mysculptureanddrawings.tilda.ws/portfolio “Girl III” 31x46cm Watercolor on paper.
4th Place — Tie JOHN MERLINO USA www.merlino-creations.square.site “The Mason” 30x35” Watercolor.
5th Place — Tie STEFFI RODIGAS GERMANY www.steffi-rodigas-artist.com “Friday Morning In Barcelona” 30x40cm Watercolor.
5th Place — Tie ABIGAIL OTTERSTEDT USA abbyotterstedt08@gmail.com “Grief” 12x17" Watercolor.
6th Place — Tie NELSON F. TCHAKIRIDES USA nelson.and.barbara@hotmail.com ‘The Masked Dancer” 9x12” Watercolor on paper.
6th Place — Tie ETHAN GROSSBERG USA https://www.instagram.com/premed_artist/ “Foot” 30x23" Watercolor on paper.
See the hundreds of winning images and corresponding contact info to all the artists here:
In 2025, ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS had submissions from these 49 countries: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Herzegovina, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, USA, Zimbabwe.
15 international art collectors asked to score art:
Jason Stuckless — Toronto, Ontario
Kene J. Rosa — Los Angeles, California
Michael Gregg Michaud — Los Angeles, California
Alec Wilder — Los Angeles / Las Vegas / New Orleans
Eddie Dyer — Los Angeles / Las Vegas / New Orleans
Thomas Zora — Las Vegas
Ron Lundin — Naples, Florida / Chicago, Illinois / Vail, Colorado
Jay H. Brewer — Orlando, Florida
Alan McMullen — Fannettsburg, Philadelphia
Brian Townley — Waco, Texas
Aimee Unakis — Georgetown, Illinois
Jordan Wallace — Georgetown, Illinois
Carole Hatcher — Rancho Mirage, California
Jan Gold — Roseville, California
Karen Valentine — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mitchell Antesky — Toledo Ohio
