NATALIE WAGSTAFFE
Mixed Media Artist
Natalie Wagstaffe is a mixed media artist based in Barking, East London.
As a child Natalie lived in inner city London but also spent periods of time in Bath in the West of England. Her interest in aesthetic beauty developed at an early age and her artwork is directly influenced by the contrast she saw between the vibrant capital city and the quiet spa town of Bath.
In 2009 Natalie graduated from Bath Spa University with a degree in Graphic Communication. After leaving university she explored career paths beyond the art world, most notably working for several years as a primary school teacher.
2020 was a pivotal year for Natalie, she re-discovered her passion for painting and moved on from teaching, starting her own business as a mindset coach.
As a coach Natalie supports female artists overcome personal barriers to creating authentic work and helps them find the confidence to reach their audience.
Natalie’s artwork uses abstraction to explore themes of memory, symbolism, and meditation. Anchored by her Buddhist practice, she describes her work as “an exploration of kindly self-awareness”.
Using rich, energetic forms, colours and textures she attempts to bridge the gap between internal and external landscapes and invites us to explore the realms of imagination and feeling.
THOUGHTS ON KINDNESS
"I believe that kindness is a natural and fundamental part of being a human being. It can be a present and powerful force in our lives, but our capacity and instinct to be kind, can easily be covered over by negative past experiences, fear and the general hum of everyday life.
The frenetic pace at which our modern world moves, unfortunately creates little time and space for kindness, so I feel it’s very important to intentionally cultivate it; for ourselves and for others.
Kindness and generosity are very important to me personally, and I believe they go hand in hand. My spiritual teacher Bhante Sangharakshitsa says “Love where there is no reason to love” and if we did, I imagine the world would be a much kinder place.
Generosity feels good, not just for the receiver but for the giver also, and to me practicing generosity, is practising kindness, which we could certainly do with more of" - Natalie Wagstaffe