A new chapter

How will the story evolve? With Excitement and trepidation, the next chapter evolves. I have left my part time work to go full time with ByNatalie - art - photography and teaching. I’m buzzing!!!

In equally exciting news, I have been shortlisted for the CreativeBathAward (https://www.creativebathawards.org/finalists/) which was a delightful surprise and a great opener to this new chapter!

'My Blooming Year' has thrown up different interest and contacts. I am having conversations with people from more diverse stratospheres and I am spinning with possibilities and ideas. I have ambitious ideas - thank you to all of you who have come on my journey so far - strap in - we’re off!! I am just back from The Isles of Scilly where I have kicked autumn off with a crazy swim from Island to Island, organised by the team at https://scillyswimchallenge.co.uk. Adventure met challenge and I was immersed (physically) for many kilometres into the water world that I love. (most certainly a set of work to evolve from here).

Diving and Digging This seems to be a metaphorical theme. I am digging to explore the female dialogue between perception and reality - between getting old but feeling young - of the ‘becoming me’ phase of life in early 20’s - of acceptance and the evolution of a new kind of beauty - a discovery of who we are beautifully made to be. Meanwhile I am swimming below the surface and working on paintings that express how it feels to be in the water - to feel the cool and the fear, the exhilaration and weightlessness - the unknown below the surface. And with both these themes is an exposure - a stripping - a nakedness - a vulnerability.

Dreadlocks and Dungarees In Dreadlocks and Dungarees, a recent piece, I was so taken with the dungarees, knotted at the top and the t-shirt layers beneath, contouring the collar bones. Wide brown eyes and confident poses, I was reminded how wonderful it is to work with a really good model.

I sketched Ruth while we had good conversation and, as we scraped away at the surface of her life, so the layers built on canvas. She said she could see me doing the painting which was unusual when modelling. I loved her involvement with my creating an image of her. I was asking her opinion and exploring her response to my representing her. I really enjoyed that dialogue - building her story in to the work. The initial sketches evolved in to a large acrylic painting - 120x100cms.

With this and further sitters, I will create a show at 44AD in central Bath next October (2022). No ordinary show of course!! In the meantime, Dreadlocks and Dungarees has been entered for the Bath Society of Artists (BSA) 116th annual exhibition at The Victoria Art Gallery in Bath.

In the meantime I am enjoying connecting in my community at: The Bath Contemporary Arts Fair in Green Park, Bath https://www.bcaf.co.uk Starting this Sunday September 12th So if you want something very special to give at Christmas come along: - Mini paintings - Cards - Christmas gifts - Highlands and Islands drawings and paintings - Flowers paintings Entering Bath Society of Artists 116th exhibition Victoria Art Gallery, Bath https://www.bsaorg.uk/open-exhibitions.html Entering discerning eye The Mall Galleries, London discerning eye 2021 - Waiting for the final awards at Creative Bath www.creativebathawards.org - A weekend of printmaking coming up in Swansea. - and A NEW WEB SITE IN THE MAKING!!!!! Follow me for more regular updates at this exciting time on instagram @ByNatalieCreative