I had the opportunity to be a guest on Jana’s podcast, Artistically You the other week and am happy to share that with you today. We chatted about my style of artwork, combining architecture and other mixed media elements, my workshops, artistic inspiration and more.
Here is the link to the podcast and then below you can watch the video recording. Enjoy!
Guess what? I love artwork! Hahaha you knew that though, right? I like making it, looking at it, talking about it, reading about it, and yes I like collecting it too. I don’t really think of myself as an art collector, but if you walk around my home, I have a lot of stuff hanging on the walls and most of it is art that I really, really love. So I guess I’m an art collector :)
Some of the works I have are favorites that I’ve made and hesitate to part with just yet. Sometimes you make a piece that really has meaning or turned out so nicely that you might want to live with it for a while. I’ve got some of those. I also have a wall of work in my office that is a collection of pieces by friends. I’m so lucky to have met so many talented folks through the years and I love to have some of their work too. Also in there I have a wall of vintage photos from my relatives and I love looking at them and thinking about their lives long ago. And then I have paintings and works on paper that I’ve gotten from art shows and art fairs, where I met the artists right then and there and just fell in love with what they were doing.
Having original art pieces around the home inspires me and keeps me connected too – something made by the hands of another artist is just a really cool, and powerful human connection. And it might not be something that you’ve ever considered. Lots of folks think original artwork is not within their reach – it’s something you see at museums or in the homes of high society. I am here to tell you that’s not the case at all! As an artist I really want to have my work speak to people, people everywhere who would like to listen.
I haven’t been able to devote much time to creating artwork lately (visitors, online workshop duties, life etc), but I still do have pieces in my online shop that are waiting for just the right person to welcome them home. And that includes some Original Artwork at lots of different price points. Please read on:
“Regeneration” is an original drypoint print of an historic building in Jersey City – the Powerhouse. It’s inked in a colorful mix of inks, matted and signed and just $50. I was thinking about this building again because it seems as though the mayor would like to give up on it and finally tear it down. What a loss that would be (it is a beautiful reminder of the industrial past downtown), but not super surprising considering the power that developers seem to have here.
Here is another version of that same drypoint print. Here “Regeneration” is hand printed in two tone, highlighting the masonry but also maybe hinting at the intensity of the discussion surrounding this building now.
“Hope” is an original mixed media collage piece that is matted and framed and ready for your wall, and it’s just $55. You may recognize some of my rubber stamps in this one, along with my unique way of sketching the details in architecture. This is an original piece – no other will ever be like this one again and as a lover of art, that kind of thing makes me happy. You get some of me, a little bit of my own artistic madness, for your home (or office or studio etc).
“Push & Pull” is an original painting on canvas that I have in my shop for $125. I love the layering in this piece and how the details of the Victorian home turned out. It is of course inspired by a home in my neighborhood, a place where the push and pull of gentrification is felt on every block. Here are a couple other views of this beauty:
I hope you take a look around in my online shop but also in the shops of other artists. Creating is a language and our way of communicating our thoughts, sharing, and discussing ideas. In the ideal world the resulting artwork realizes its full potential when it is viewed, considered and enjoyed by others – like YOU ;)
Here is a link to artwork in my shop.
Calling all Pattern Lovers! One of my favorite ways to experiment with creating patterns is to reach for my Hex Set Large rubber stamp set. Just like a tile floor, all the stamps work together to create a field of yummy pattern goodness. There are too many possibilities to count and let’s face it, math isn’t why we’re here. Trust me: Hex Set is gonna rock your world in terms of pattern making :)
Backgrounds are a breeze and also just really meditative to create. Grab a stamp (or 2 or 3) and a couple different colors of ink and begin building your page. When you have everything covered, go back in and fill with acrylic markers or your current fav media to oomph things up. Collage on top and journal in the nooks and crannies. This art journal page is pretty bold but you could also do something similar in muted or pastel colors for something that blends away a bit more and doesn’t take center stage.
I love playing with the rotation of some of these hex designs. That creates even more possibilities and can give your spread some movement too. In this art journal spread I flipped and rotated the orientation of the Positive and Negative Beacon stamps in the set.
Looking for an easy way to layer color under the stamps while maintaining the hex vibe? Try the Solid Hex Large stamp – it is designed to work with the set and layer. In the project above we used fabric ink and stamped on reusable shopping bags, first the solid in yellow and then one from the set in red.
Repeating patterns work really well anywhere where you might find fabric, like here in this Creative Squad project from Maura. She uses the Hex Set Large and Hex Set Small rubber stamps to personalize a pencil pouch. I love the hot colors in this and the simple variation in them. I also love that the triangle created between the hex shapes is the perfect size for that Hex Set Small Beacon stamp.
What else do you see in these stamp designs? How about flowers like Creative Squad alum Jennifer does in this post? I always get excited when someone takes one of my stamps and uses it in a new way and this is a great example. Sure it’s a hex, but it could be a flower or a wheel or the sun or whatever your imagination sees :)
Have fun with it!
Here are some of the supplies used in these projects:
It’s your last chance to get in on the fun: Nat’s Birthday Sale!!!
I’m celebrating with 20% off foam stamps, rubber stamps, stencils, artwork, books and MORE here in the online shop.
Shop by 11:59pm EDT (NYC time) tonight, July 6 and use the coupon code bdayfun20 to save 20% off physical products. Find the supplies you need to inspire you, help you create, and have FUN this summer :)
It’s Giveaway Time! Get one of my Mixed Media Chips for FREE. These cute chipboard stencils are being discontinued so while supplies last, you can score one for free. How? Just spend $15 or more before shipping (and after any coupons are applied) in the online shop on physical products and we’ll pop one into your order. It’ll be randomly selected and a surprise for you :)
These are kind of a cross between a stencil and a collage element and I had fun using them in my art journal for backgrounds…
And for creating texture…
And finally as a bit of collage to emphasize certain motifs in a spread.
I also loved using them for cards in all three ways, creating some city-inspired ones that play with lots of tonal layering.
So until we run out, just spend $15 or more on an order here in the shop (physical products only, cart total before shipping and after coupons) and we will include one free Mixed Media Chip in your shipment.
And now is a great time to buy as we are currently having Nat’s Birthday Sale – 20% off all physical products using the coupon bdayfun20 when you check out. Hurry though, stamps and stencils are going fast and the sale ends 11:59pm EDT (NYC time) on July 6, 2022.
Enjoy!!!
It’s that time of year again so I thought… let’s have a little birthday fun ;) To celebrate, I’m having a Birthday Sale here in the shop and you’re invited!
An early July birthday is pretty sweet anyway – warm sunny days, lots of grilling and stoop gatherings outside, the neighborhood is lush and green – and now that I’m here in the US they are celebrating their birthday too this time of year so I can expect parades and fireworks and other festivities!
So here at nStudio we’re letting loose with a sale on all our physical products in the shop: rubber stamps, stencils, foam stamps, my book, my fav supplies like Moonlight Duo ink pads and cardboard mini models, and even my artwork! Just use the coupon code bdayfun20 when you check out to save 20% on qualifying items. Sale runs through July 6, 2022 at 11:59pm EDT (NYC time).
Rubber stamps and stamp sets are included in the sale, so favorite sets like Hex Set Large and Stroll Through the Hood are good to go, as are many others in the newly restocked shop:
Are you a Stencil lover? They’re part of the sale too and whether you love patterns or more abstract motifs, we’ve got you covered with stencils like Van Vorst and Tokyo and others.
Foam Stamps are my go to for bold designs and I love using them in all sorts of ways and on a lot of different substrates – especially fabric. Recently we did a fun project with my Mini Fan Set and Koinobori fish wind socks and another time we created some gorgeous printed napkins with my Batik stamps. I love how foam stamps print on fabric :)
Do you love hanging artwork on your walls to inspire you and bring you joy? I certainly do – there is something about looking at artwork that gets my brain going. Well my friends, Artwork is a part of this sale too and there is something in there at every price range and in a lot of different media, including an original framed collage called Hope and a mixed media painting of NYC’s famed Highline.
All physical products include some of my favorite supplies like Moonlight Duo ink pads (those cool ones that have a color AND an opaque white so you can mix tints) and the mini cardboard models that are so fun to personalize.
Have fun shopping Nat’s Birthday Sale here in the online shop – just remember to use the coupon code bdayfun20 when you check out. It’ll run through 11:59pm EDT (NYC time) on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.
“Gritty” is a new painting of mine that I’m happy to share with you today. The name refers to both a physical state AND a mental/emotional one, and is very appropriate for this piece that is a montage of buildings in my neighborhood in Jersey City.
As you know, the history of buildings and their occupants is a fascination of mine and drives a lot of my work on canvas. Sure I love the architecture of older buildings and all those cool design details, but learning the stories behind all that is what really inspires my artwork.
In this painting I used layering in the background with both patterns, letters and numbers to suggest the passage of time and the history that could be uncovered. It’s kind of misty and murky and you have to take some time looking to see everything that’s there.
Buildings come into focus like memories, some of the details are there but others fade out.
There’s a bit of heavy texture – grit – to the painting because hey, my neighborhood has grit, and the more I learn about it, the more I fall in love with the persistence of its residents, both past and present.
I hope you like taking a closer look and seeing how I look at my local environment :)
“Gritty” is available here in my shop. The painting measures 24″x36″ and is created using acrylic paint, acrylic ink, graphite, markers, gesso, and spray paint on canvas.
Put a Circle on It! I don’t know why circles are such a pleasing design element but I definitely gravitate towards them. Maybe it’s just something in our makeup as humans that we like these focused, round shapes that remind us of the Sun and our moon, many things in nature, and are without harsh pointy corners. Who knows. But what I do know is they make excellent focal points in an art journal or on a canvas and they have a ton of innate appeal. That’s one reason I designed my Circle Jumble rubber stamp set – I wanted some nice circle options to go to again and again :)
I used the stamps with chunky embossing powder in this spread. Don’t you just want to touch them? It’s like the embossing emphasizes the roundness and that is even better!
Circles are so harmonious… and they play so well with other shapes and are an excellent building block to patterns. In this art journal page I used those Large Circle Jumble stamps with triangles and squares and it all just fits and makes me happy.
When in doubt… start with a circle! Here I used them as the center of a mandala. All the Circle Jumble stamps have a central focal point that everything can radiate out from.
You can also keep it simple with circles. Just a few on a card and you have a pleasing design scheme. This stamp set has a positive/negative pair in it too – looks great playing off one another.
Put a Circle on It! Get your hands dirty (maybe with some paper clay even!) and bask in the harmony of the circle – the Circle Jumble ;)
Here are some of the supplies I used:
Nice! I am also drawn to circles.
Recently I was invited as a guest on the podcast series called The Left Brain Artist by Suzanne Redmond. We had a wonderful chat about where I’m coming from as an artist (what inspires me and drives many of my creative decisions), my workshop Creative JumpStart 2022, and my book Artful Adventures in Mixed Media.
I really enjoyed our time together and you can listen to the podcast here:
Suzanne interviews a new artist each week and gets tons of different perspectives on what it’s like to be a practicing artist. I shared with her my love for architecture and buildings, and my fascination with the stories and history of these structures. I talk about how that research finds its way into my paintings in the colors and marks that I make. I also share how I prepare for paintings by testing things out and just playing in my art journal.
I hope you enjoy listening :)
Oh Nat, this is beautiful!
The background pulled me in and I’m searching for the flowers, letters and details.
It definitely makes me think of the layers of physical structures in your hood as well as the human stories that overlap.
I enjoy making up life stories when I see places and people. I sometimes drive my hubby crazy when I share the story of the people eating at the table near us in a restaurant. Of course it’s my version of their life. I imagine it might be what writing a fictional book must be like.
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