I make paintings of the land, with the land.

The ancient sites and abandoned industry relics that litter the Cornish landscape offer both inspiration and natural materials from which I create my abstract landscape paintings. I’m interested in the visual impact of what has been left behind, what is hidden, what will erode and what will remain indefinitely. Gathering earth pigments from chosen sites, I hand process paints to bring you a tangible connection to the place, telling a story and bringing the magic of this land to you.

Process

My process begins with an experience of the land – a ritual of observing, connecting and gathering. What is under my feet becomes my palette as the natural pigments allow me to form a tangible connection with the site.

Drawn to these landscapes, scattered with the remnants of lost communities and a memory of what was, I immerse myself in the moment of being - walking, contemplating the history of this land, wondering of its future.

The ruins of industry being reclaimed by nature create a beautiful tension in this place.
Man v Nature.
Our fleeting time here seems so insignificant yet is so damaging. We build, we take, we abandon.

And the ancient ritualistic sites still standing long after their domestic counterparts have fallen, some preserved and protected but others left to fend for themselves, they still hold a magical appeal to many who are drawn here to try to understand our ancestral wisdom.

As I walk, I feel myself disengage from busy-ness and focus on being present. I seek out high and low places to explore viewpoints and gain a sense of the topography and scale.

I capture these experiences and views with rapid sketches, filtering what is most important in that fleeting moment of time on this ancient landscape. Using limited materials and working at speed captures the essence and creates and energy to be drawn on later.

In the studio I draw on the visual and experiential memory to develop the work, using predominantly natural materials with the occasional addition of synthetic, enjoying the tension of human-made alongside nature and how this mimics the locations from which I draw inspiration. I pour natural inks and paints, enjoying the fluidity and physicality of the process, unpredictable but to some degree controllable.

Inspired by the multi-viewpoint approach explored by Peter Lanyon, the energy and freedom of the abstract expressionists, and the great Sublime, I combine observation and experience with aerial, cross-sectional and imagined views to abstract the landscape whilst provoking a sense of the familiar.

Using natural earth pigments and hand processing them creates an opening into the painting and an antidote to the desire for instant gratification. My process reconnects me to much forgotten knowledge of working with the land, a symbiotic relationship with natural resources, respectful and harmonious. Taking only what I need and offering up a token of thanks to the ground for sharing her rich bounty.

Artist Career

The last few years have been a period of huge transformation for Natalie. During this time she’s fully consolidated her art practice, reflecting deeply and developing exciting projects and collaborations.

Natalie completed Falmouth University foundation in 1994 but life events meant she couldn’t pursue her formal training. In 2007/8 she had an intense period of creating and selling work to support her practice and after a radical overhaul to her life in 2018 started building herself a career as an artist alongside her health professional role as a chiropractor.

She is now a full-time artist living and working in Cornwall, painting in her Bude studio and teaching at the St Ives School of Painting, as well as running her own classes locally and online.

Professional Development

After completing 2 years of study with the Newlyn Art School, which strengthened her sense of self, her ideas and interests and gave her the tools to be rigorous in her critical thinking, Natalie started to make huge leaps forward in her professional career.

A significant part of this was her move to investigate natural materials in an effort to reduce the use of plastic-based products and create a more considered and sustainable art practice.

In spring 2023 Natalie held her first solo show 'This Land' at the Royal Cornwall Museum which debuted her explorations into natural earth pigments and writing about her beloved Cornwall landscape. Alongside this she ran a series of workshops and discovered a love for teaching her processes.

Events and Exhibitions

Current collaborations:
Tutor at St Ives School of Painting
Lindi Reynolds Interior Design Artist Appreciation Initiative

Notable collaborations:
Participant in Cultivator Creative & Cultural Leadership Development Programme (cohort 3)
Sponsorship support by Lisarb Energy for solo show at Royal Cornwall Museum
Delivery of workshops at Royal Cornwall Museum

Key Exhibitions:
‘This Land’ Solo exhibition with workshops at Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro (Spring 2023)
‘Topophilia’ Solo exhibition at The Castle, Bude (November/December 2023)

Collaborative Residencies:
Artist in Residence at Watergate Bay Hotel (April 2024)
One of five Artists in Residence at Truro High School for Girls (June 2024)

Current Galleries/Outlets:
Oriel Gallery, Pembrokeshire
UK Artists Online

Awards/Selections:
Invited panel member, Truro Open: Spirit of Cornwall at Royal Cornwall Museum (Dec 2023)
Cultivator Cornwall ‘Mentoring’ grant to work with arts writer Kate Reeve-Edwards (2022-3)
Cultivator Cornwall 'Creative Investment' grant for website redevelopment (2022)
Cultivator Cornwall 'Individual Skills Development' grant to work with Gareth Edwards RWA (2022)
Longlisted VAA Professional Artists Award (2022)
Finalist Broadway Arts Festival Open Call (2021)
Jackson’s Art Prize 2 pieces longlisted (2018)

Self-Initiated Residencies:
6-week residency in West Penwith & Bude, Cornwall (Aug-Sept 2021)
Series of short residencies in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire (May, July and September 2021)

Memberships:
a-n The Artists Information Company
Professional Artists Association

Events/exhibitions:
2023
Topophilia solo show at Bude Castle & Heritage Centre (November/December 2023)
Prime Women Artists Group Show at Truro High School for Girls (November 2023)
This Land solo show at Royal Cornwall Museum (April to June 2023)

2022
Ingenious Pursuits group show, Bude (December)
The Big Art Fair, Paisley Scotland (August to December 2022)
Penwith Society of Arts Associates Winter Show (November to January 2023)
Artist-led Jupiter Gallery Takeover group show, Newlyn (October)
The Old News Building London Bridge (work placed by ArtCan)
‘Earth Works’ workshop delivery with School of Outdoor Art (July)
Newlyn School of Art Mentoring group show at Tremenheere Gallery, Penzance (June)
Joint show at Oriel Gallery, Pembrokeshire (April)

2021
Christmas Open Studios at Krowji Creative, Cornwall
Artist-led Group show at The Old Fire Station Henley (December)
Collaboration with Bron Jones at Little Buckland Gallery (Autumn)
FRESH Art Fair Cheltenham with Little Buckland Gallery (Summer)
Newbury Contemporary Art Fairs (July/Aug)
Newlyn School of Art Group Show in PZ Gallery Penzance (June)
Broadway Arts Festival finalist in Arts Prize competition

2020
Oxfordshire Artweeks (May & December festivals)
Surrey Contemporary Art Fairs (March)

2019
Dolphin Art Gallery Wantage ‘New Work’ exhibition (December for 3 months)
Edinburgh Art Fair with Bourne Art (November)
Windsor Contemporary Art Fairs (November)
Sussex Art Fair Brighton (October)
Newbury Contemporary Art Fairs (May)
Oxfordshire Artweeks at West Ox Gallery (May)
Surrey Contemporary Art Fairs (March)
West Ox Arts ‘New Work’ group exhibition (February)

2018
Jackson’s Art Prize 2 pieces longlisted
Windsor Contemporary Art Fairs (November)
Faringdon Arts Society 54th annual exhibition (October)
West Ox Arts ‘Music and Movement’ group exhibition (February)

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