Natalie Toplass Shropshire, United Kingdom
I’ve been trying to get to the root of why I paint what I paint, after much ruminating I think I’ve realised the different avenues my mind travels down. I’ve become more interested recently in a still life aspect to my work, looking at old toys and discarded objects and it’s the stories about the past, that I can almost see- just out of reach and stories are the main diet of my imagination. The id
Natalie started painting professionally following her formal training in fine art and stage set design. She currently works on a series of intricate flower and bird portraits, which she feels that Georgia O’Keefe, Karl Blossfeldt and early 17th century Dutch have heavily influenced.
I want the viewer to feel drawn into what becomes a speculative concept of colour and shape. The medium is oil built up in layers over time to create a vivid and translucent finish. . The subject itself is just the starting point for a study of tone and form; the subtlety of colour capturing a unique moment in time. Each subject is so different, offering delicacy and detail but at the same time strength and potency. It’s these differences that fascinate me and I try to capture that essence in my work. I want the viewer to have the experience that is beyond that of the image; therefore, the scale of my work is important. By enlarging the scale, the nature of the subject is intensified, and enables the viewer to become encompassed by the beauty of the subject.
