Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Shaw.
Hi Natalie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a non-figurative painter whose work is informed by human movement, the fragility of things half-formed, and the power of process. Before I could put words to it, I felt something strange inside pulling me towards art as a child. One of my earliest memories was at our home in Chicago. I remember sitting on the carpet at our coffee table with my set of colored pencils, carefully taking each one out to look at the pigments.
The desire to be an artist was there from a young age but the world makes being an artist feel so impractical, I completed a few degrees prior to my degree in studio art. My professors had a profound impact on me and continue to influence me on both a professional and personal level. Since moving to Austin, my time has been marked by the incredibly supportive community of artists. We show up for and support each other’s endeavors, and I feel very lucky to have access to such a generous network.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Everything worthwhile requires risk, and risk never guarantees an outcome. Without being aware at times, I’ve continually found myself exploring the road less traveled. Driven by an innate hunger for meaning and fulfillment, my choices have almost never promised a predictable result but they’ve allowed me to continually evolve into the truest version of myself. That in itself is the most rewarding journey and worth the cost of the constant unknown.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a non-figurative painter whose work explores concepts of human movement, the fragility of things half-formed, and the power of process. From a young age and still today, I find myself wanting to be above the earth. Defying gravity and natural law accompanies my long-standing preoccupation with vast expanses, particularly that of the sky. Even in my more recent bodies of work that explore ideas of vulnerability and the process of unfolding, there is a space-consciousness.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Anything you attain by being a forced or unauthentic version of yourself will require you to maintain that for the life of the relationship. I’d say organic relationships and connections are the most long-standing and natural. Not that it doesn’t require some initiative in regards to being present in certain contexts, etc. But when you genuinely care about someone without an agenda, if you can celebrate their successes if they never end up doing a thing for you, it creates room for the type of relationship that both inevitably enjoy. That’s how life is exchanged. When you try to impose the external formality of a mentorship on a stranger, it can be more challenging unless you’re in an educational context.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@natalieshawstudio.com
- Website: natalieshawstudio.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ natalieshawstudi
o - Facebook: facebook.com/natalieshawstudio
Image Credits
Wisteria Wells
