Nest Series

On Sunday, the painting I'd been working on wasn't going well (which was really disappointing because up until that point it had been going really well, but I digress...). It was late afternoon and for some reason I felt tired, and so I decided to do what I wouldn't normally decide to do - I went to lay down on the bed for a while to have a little nap.

Nest Number One

© Natasha Newton 2012

While in that strange half-awake / half-asleep stage, I suddenly had a new idea: a series of nest paintings. I've actually been thinking about painting nests for a while now but it's something that I'd put on hold for a year or so because I couldn't decide exactly how I wanted to paint them. So I guess you could say it wasn't exactly a 'new' idea, but for the first time I could actually see the fully-formed paintings in my mind's eye rather than just a vague impression. I wanted to paint them on linen canvases - of which I already had several in stock just waiting to be used - and I now knew what they were going to look like. So after I woke up from my nap, I went straight back into the studio and started on the series. I'd finished the first one before I went to bed that night, and they've been following in quick succession ever since!

Nest Number Three

© Natasha Newton 2012

Two are already on display at Snape Maltings Gallery in Suffolk (I know, I don't waste any time...) and two more will be on their way to the Serena Hall Gallery in Southwold at the end of this week. And then I'll be making more, playing around with some different ideas I've had for them, and working on much larger canvases too (so far, all the nests have been on 12x12" canvases). I'd like to make at least two 24x24" nest paintings for the upcoming solo show, and I'm thinking that two nests together, side by side, on a huge rectangular canvas could look good too. I'm also hoping to make a couple just for the shop at some point over the next couple of weeks also - I'll let you know when they're available.

One last thing - the website has finally been updated properly, and the paintings are now in separate categories ('Nest Series', 'Birds + Feathers', and 'Landscapes + Trees' to name a few), so it should make browsing the available and recent work a lot easier. Have a look and let me know what you think - I hope you enjoy it! www.natasha-newton.co.uk

Nest Number Two

© Natasha Newton 2012

Comments

[Niki Jackson]

They are beautiful Natasha! Blessings Niki x

[Jess]

Now that's what a call a proper Power Nap! I love it when inspiration hits like this, maybe if we meditate we can get amazing ideas each time? Lovely nests!
Jess x x

[Laura]

It's so wonderful when ideas bubble up like that when we relax...and those nests are really beautiful, I love the patterns on the eggs.

[Erika]

Love the new series. I was thinking a fluffy down feather in the nest with the eggs could be cute.