natashagiles.com | Natasha Giles | Fine Artist | Meditative Artworks
  • Home
  • Artworks
    • E » Fire
    • S » Water
    • W » Earth
    • N » Air
    • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Sessions
  • Interiors
  • Blog

Blog

Art & Method | Journey & Progress

It's natural to resist change

11/28/2019

 
PictureRELEASE
November 2019 and it is six months on from when I started ink painting with a newfound passion...

For several weeks daylight has faded at a ridiculously early time of about 3pm, most days littered by wind, rain and heavy cloud. Yesterday our lane flooded badly. Right now a stranded vehicle sits in it waiting recovery, or for the flood to recede. I know which I put my money on happening sooner.

AUTUMN OFFERING
Ahead of winter, the fields are sodden. Wellies needing a wash on every return. Autumn seems to have been missed out – its glory certainly couldn’t be fully appreciated in recent weeks. High wind zapped the trees of colour in days and we never truly saw them sing out. They faded fast and without ceremony, unable to shine against a dull grey background.

Today, because of the flood (and because it’s long overdue), I ventured out to make an offering to the beech tree I visit in local fields, the one I term ‘my tree’. I think in 'tree years' it’s most likely a teenager. From beneath it looks like a tree piggy-backing another, and its left arm and hand reach toward our house, pointing, or beckoning for me to come outside. It faces north-west.

I left a few grapes as an offering. Alternate times I leave burnt sage, a few nuts or a handful of ashes after a moon burning. I never leave anything that is manmade, poisonous, that will seed or won’t rot.

NATURE'S MESSAGE
This afternoon I stood under Beech for scant seconds, looked up and noticed most of the leaves have dropped since last weekend, though it still has a few dotted in seemingly equal distance across the branches, in a scattered pattern.

​There is always a message I get as I stand in silence under Beech. Today it was simple...


Read More

More about ink (and not-ink)

11/27/2019

 
Picture
Buying inks can be deceptive. On many art supply websites the similar bottles all come under the banner of ‘ink’ and some are actual Indian ink, but others are acrylic ink, and others diluted watercolour. In addition there is calligraphic and fountain pen ink. So easy to get confused and misled.

My first dip into inks (sorry, unintended) was a multipack of Windsor & Newton’s. Excellent and reliable, if only the bottles lasted longer. Well, I say that – I bought a Black, a Violet and a Crimson in the mid-1990’s at art college and I still had half a bottle of crimson left when I began this lark back in April. My very first attempts were via squeezed contents of old fountain pen refill cartridges (yes, my fingers were black for a week) combined with the 15 year-old crimson, which in 2019 I discovered had ‘matured’ to a vibrant neon pink.

PictureLiquid watercolour from Flying Tiger
​BRANDS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
Other brands and products I have used since are Daler Rowney Acrylic Ink, Dr Ph Martin’s Bombay India Ink, Chinese Black Calligraphy Ink (from the Manuscript Pen Company), and Ecoline Liquid Water Colour, as well as a cheap Liquid Watercolour I found in high street shop Tiger (Flying Tiger), which not only was surprisingly vivid – though in limited colours – the black also produces exciting effects and blue-edged tints when it runs into the other inks. Since it appears to be discontinued I’m using it sparingly – ironic seeing as it’s the cheapest one I’ve so far found! I’m thinking of trying a bottle of Parker Quink or other fountain ink and see if I get a similar result. [continued]


Read More

All about ink

11/25/2019

 
Picture
During the past several months of painting in what I thought were inks, I’ve come to realise they might not be the same sort of ink, or even inks, at all.

Does it matter? In my case, no, because what I do is experimental. The papers, tools and inks are pretty much irrelevant, it’s the process that matters more than the equipment, which is how I prefer it.

However, I found it absolutely does matter when I have my work on show and curious artists ask me about my bold colours, the medium I use and my technique. In my naivety I suppose I didn’t think anyone would be that interested so I wasn’t pre-prepared with definitive answers to give, especially where inks are concerned.

SO WHY INK?
My ink experimentation is contrary to my past painting attempts. Originally using gouache and watercolour at school, I progressed onto acrylic paint in my twenties, attracted to their shiny boldness and the fact they were quick-drying. Nothing worse for me than getting out of creative flow waiting for paint to dry. This isn't purely down to impatience – I bore easily and move on to the next project quickly. You will not be surprised to hear I’ve never tried using oils...


Read More
<<Previous

    Artist blog

    ​
    Art & method
    Mixed media using ashes
    Taking your art a step further
    Exploring art in UK lockdown
    Is Autumn your favourite season?
    ​Are you Neptunian?
    Focus in on smaller artworks
    Into SOUTH direction » water, emotion
    Balance of opposing energies
    White space & cropping art
    Tips on tools
    Categorising artworks 
    But what does it all mean?
    ​More about ink (and not-ink)
    All about ink


    Journey & progress
    Taking some of my own medicine – winter
    Meditating on oak & the meaning of acorn abundance
    ​Be more tree – resilience
    Waking up for the sunrise
    Staying home & being resourceful
    Beats & trance states
    ​A longterm relationship with rhythm
    It's natural to resist change
    Autumn & death. Fear & flow
    The reality of trance state
    It always starts with a journey...

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Sign up to my newsletter

    * indicates required
 Images and content copyright © Natasha Giles 2021
  • Home
  • Artworks
    • E » Fire
    • S » Water
    • W » Earth
    • N » Air
    • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Sessions
  • Interiors
  • Blog