Interview With Artist Natasha Charlotte

About Inspiration and Beginnings
 
 
1. What inspired you to pursue a career in art? Was there a specific moment or person who influenced you?

Art has always been a place of solace for me. From a very early age, I
simply loved drawing, colours and art. By 17 I had been accepted into
Griffith University BVA in Fine Art and had aspirations of working in a
gallery in France as a curator and practicing artist. However, life - as it
so often does - had other ideas. At 19, due to health issues, I lost my
motor skills, rendering me unable at that time to draw. This led me to
discover yoga. For the next 20 years I ran my own business teaching
yoga while running a yoga teacher training school up until 2021 when
again serious health issues saw me having to close the business. It was
during my recent recovery that I felt guided to return to my artwork,
studying a Mastery of Fine Art with The Milan Art Institute from 2022 –
2024 and ultimately stepping out as an emerging professional artist
earlier this year.
 
2. How has your art evolved since you first started? Are there any major turning points in your journey as an artist?

Initially as a younger artist I was more controlled and focused on
realism. Whilst at University I specialised in coloured pencil
illustrations, though today that feels strained and boring. My artwork
now is far more liberated. I love the fluid process and often involve
broad and intuitive brushwork. I had always admired loose brushwork
and had a fascination with impressionism done with illumination and
light, though doubted that I could achieve such work. I also once feared
painting humans, tending to focus on animals as my subject though
currently most of my work is figurative. The turning point may have
been age though it really came down to a moment of challenging myself.
If I have a desire to paint something, then I cannot shy away from that I
have to try it. if I never paint a human or use oil paints for example then
how can I ever become good at that? So, I started trying to and it
worked.

3. Are there certain themes or subjects you find yourself returning to frequently? Why are these meaningful to you?

Yes, I am consistently driven by the idea of quiet moments in life being
precious. Currently I am exploring the thought that seemingly
insignificant moments in our lives in fact make up the beauty of our
experience.
 
 
Creative Process
 
4. Can you walk us through your creative process? Do you have any habits that help you get into the flow?

I do have habits. Honestly, I am quite a tidy controlled artist despite my
artwork often inspiring a feeling of freedom within people. My studio
space is very small and because of that I needed to become organised,
though now that organisation has become a steady part of my process.
As a part of my process, I open and close my studio space down very
methodically every time I paint and if don’t do that or skip a step, I don’t
feel like I can achieve my artistic flow. I also always like to prepare a cup
of tea and cookie before I start.  I love to be alone whilst I create, I set
the space very clearly and often play very harmonious music the act of
creating is very sacred to me.
 
5. Do you map things out first, or do you prefer to let the piece evolve
organically?

Yes, again that element of a controlled and steady personality does
emerge within my preparation. I generally like to create a reference
image from which I will paint, however, as the artwork is evolving, I have
space for extreme intuition not holding obsessively to the reference
rather seeing it as a guide to what might transpire upon the canvas.
 
6. Do you experiment with different mediums and techniques, or do you prefer to work in one primary style?

This year 2024 has been a little explorative for me as I continued with
some further studies, although my works seemed to come full circle and
be very settled with my Mixed Media process.

 
Personal Meaning and Expression
 
7. Do you think of your art as a reflection of yourself, or do you see it more as a separate entity that others can interpret in their own way?

I don’t know if I would say my art is a representation of self exactly,
though an artists soul may inherently be a part of their works. However,
I feel more accurately my work is more the expression of the deeper
themes, ideas and energies I hope to share.
 
8. How do you want people to feel when they view your art? Are there specific emotions or thoughts you hope to evoke?

Generally, my hope is that when people view my work, they feel mostly a
sense of beauty. I feel it is most important to leave a viewer feeling
uplifted, inspired or better off for having viewed a piece. Beauty can be a
very subjective topic so more specifically I hope people may feel joyful,
inspired, transported or connected to some reminder of innocence and
magic in life.
 
 
9. Are there any personal experiences that have directly influenced your work? Yes, there have been.
 
Challenges and Growth
 
10. What has been the most challenging piece you have created, and why? How did you overcome those challenges?

Most often I don’t really feel any piece is challenging as I enjoy the act of
art / painting so much and I recognise any painting is a good painting
whether it be a full-scale piece or a sketch or a work that fails because
you are always learning and honing your skills. If I had to select one
work to answer this question though, it would probably be a recent
piece titled “Let’s do Lunch.” The angle on one of the faces in this work
was an extremely challenging angle and throughout the process I felt
many times I may have to scrap the work. To overcome these
challenges, I believe it all comes down to persistence and more
specifically persistence in a patient and loving way knowing that with
grace eventually you’ll get there (and if you don’t that is okay too).

Yes, firstly, with creative blocks I believe it is important for artists to
remember that creativity and creating engages an enormous amount of
outwardly flowing energy. It is an act of giving and so you must be kind
to yourself and remember to rest, to take days away from your creativity
and rest your mind. I have also found that creative block can be shifted
by immersing yourself within new environments or other artistic
experiences, like other artist's art shows or live music or nature. Periods
of doubt have always led me back to re acknowledging what is authentic
for me. What it is in my process that I love and most importantly
remember, is that God has given each of us a unique gift and a unique
way of translating that gift and we must honour that. We may feel
inspired by other artists, but we will never be that other artist. We are
ourselves and there is strength and beauty in the way we do what we do.

 
11. How do you handle creative blocks or periods of doubt? Are there strategies that help you keep going during tough times?

Yes, I do have strategies that help. Firstly, with creative blocks, I believe
it is important for artists to remember that creativity and creating
engages an enormous amount of outward flowing energy. It is an act of
giving and so you must be kind to yourself and remember to rest, to
take days away from your creativity and rest your mind. I have also
found that creative block can be shifted by immersing yourself within
new environments or other artistic experiences such as other artist’s art
shows or live music or nature. Periods of doubt have always led me
back to re acknowledging what is authentic for me. What it is in my
process I love and is most important, is remembering that God has
given each of us a unique gift and a unique way of translating that gift
and we must honour that. We may feel inspired by other artists, but we
will never be that other artist, we are ourselves and there is strength and
beauty in the way we do what we do.
 
12. Has there been a piece that you feel particularly attached to, or perhaps one that you felt reluctant to let go?

I feel that I am invested in every single piece I create and - like a
relationship - I love each piece for its own reasons. There are several
works that we do keep within our private collection and several others I
sell. I feel as an artist it is very important to be very clear on which
pieces you are willing to sell and which you aren’t. This may seem an
unpopular opinion or counter intuitive, however, God created us as
artists not as sellers and our destiny is to create and what comes from
that is kind of a separate experience. I feel that artists shouldn’t feel
obligated to sell their work because the creation of the piece may not be
about that.
 
 
Industry and Audience
 
13. What role do you think art galleries and exhibitions play in your career? Do you have a preference for how your work is displayed?

I think that galleries and exhibitions play a significant role in the career
of an artist, and it is wonderful to have support in that way and be able
to co-create. I don’t believe I have major preferences as long as the work
and myself as the artist are respected.
 
14. How has the response from audiences and collectors impacted your work, if at all?

Initially in my experience as an emerging artist, a period of continued
rejection from galleries, collectors, art awards etc caused me to lose my
direction and try to conform or create works which I felt would be liked
or valued. However, I realised that this action was redundant, and most
often left me feeling uninspired and bored with what I had created, and it
was most important to remain authentic to what inspires me and my
process.
 

Looking Forward

15. Are there any new projects or ideas you’re excited about exploring in the future?
       
 Yes! I am currently very excited about the direction my new collections are
taking. After 6 months of heavy exploration and self-reflection my newer works
will continue to showcase my love of mixed media though are heading into a
predominantly figurative place that may even lean towards narrative art. This
excites me enormously, as both figurative and narrative work were genres I
once thought I would never be able to achieve.

 
16. How do you see your art evolving over the next few years? Are there new themes or mediums you’re interested in?

Honestly, I am not entirely sure as there always has to be room inside
the artist’s heart for the unknown inspiration of God. Though I am
excited by my current ideas and most recently felt inspired to
investigate glitter stickers and collage as a possible element to
incorporate.
 
 
Advice and Reflection

17. What advice would you give to emerging artists who are just starting out?
 
One piece of advice I would like to share with emerging artists, is that I
encourage you to create artwork that will add to the beauty of our world and
will leave people feeling better for having viewed it. That is your power of
healing and your gift. There is enough negativity in the world today. Creating
an artwork of beauty can offer the viewer a place of refuge to return to
repeatedly.  I would also say, that as an artist, establish a firm resolve around
your love of what you do and try not to be influenced by rejections, or the very
varied opinions people may have towards your work.

18.   What do you wish more people understood about the life and work of an artist?
 
That despite being something that most of us absolutely love to do, we are
still exerting a large amount of energy and can get tired too. Also, if you would
like to support an artist - buy an artwork.