Natasha Barnes
Painting has consumed Natasha’s life (born 1960) since the age of 7. Completely self-taught, her journey began by transforming ordinary visual images into works of art, instinctively finding their way to the walls of many commercial and private collections around the world.
During the early part of her career she painted mainly contemporary floral and Landscape paintings which are still widely available in print through numerous publishers worldwide.
As with all journeys she found herself moving in a completely different direction in a very short space of time. Her love for expressionism and movement was hard to suppress.
“I eventually let my hand roam free, creating the many large abstract works of colour, for which I am known today. I am greatly influenced by nature and the lesson provided by the Lotus flower; it is not hard to see that beautiful things do indeed come from dark places. It’s astounding and inspirational that such a beautiful flower can bloom and be at ease in muddy waters. Look for the lotus in your painting: you will find this mark in all my work.”
In addition to numerous international art fairs, group and solo exhibitions, she has produced artworks for Hollywood, TV, greeting cards, Hospitality, airlines and boardrooms. Today Natasha is considered to be one of Africa’s most published artists.
Natasha’s career did not begin with art, but instead she holds an international Grande Diplome in Cordon Bleu cookery form the Prestigious Silwood Kitchen in Rondebosch, South Africa.
Today Natasha keeps a studio in Ballito, South Africa, her home. When she’s not spending a great deal of her day painting, she likes running marathons for fun, and spending time in the African bush.