natashagiles.com/about

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I have always dived deep into my imagination for amusement, solace, and as a means of expressing myself through creativity. An avid creator and storyteller from an early age, my initial interest in illustration veered towards a more generalist career in graphic design.

At the age of 16 I was accepted onto a design course at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design where I progressed onto the BA(HONS) in Visual Communication, graduating in the mid-1990's. I have been a self-employed graphic designer since 2003.

Painting and drawing took a backseat for many years until I felt urged to experiment in new methods of artistic self-expression as a form of therapy. In 2013 I dared to take my first music lesson learning to play the drum kit.

With a new passion for rhythm, I play various drums and percussion and have a taste for world music and tribal beats: the ideal accompaniment to my spiritual meditation. I practise shamanic journeying and am a member of a local shamanic drum group.

The true artist in me re-emerged in April 2019 when I walked into a local arts shop and on a whim bought a set of Indian inks and a pad of watercolour paper. For months I spent my spare time divided between painting, drumming and meditating. The works on this website are the result of one random thought: "I wonder what will happen if I try drawing while meditating?".

Compelled to continue to combine the three activities, I produce artwork from a trance state whilst listening to soundscapes or meditative drumbeats. It is a method I have termed 'spirit painting'.

The outcome of these paintings bring constant surprise: bold, powerful and unpredictable results can often make more visual sense 'upside down' rather than the direction in which they were produced – a factor I cannot explain, plan or foresee, it just happens that way.

Aside from the works themselves, meditative painting for me has successfully overthrown major blockages common with many artists: perfectionism, obsessive focus on detail, expectation and pre-judgement. This method of painting has brought me creative fulfilment and a sense of freedom.

My concurrent interests are in psychology, philosophy, spirituality, astrology, esoteric themes, as well as social and art history. I have a huge love and respect for nature and wildlife and a desire to be outdoors as much as possible in order to retain a sense of physical grounding.