Forest Dreams - Trees, Weeds and Wonder in Paint and Collage exhibition by Natasha Smith

Artist Natasha Smith creates paintings in acrylic with mixed media and elements of collage and drawing, in colours reflecting the incandescence of our natural world. It’s all about the trees and unnoticed plants – so-called weeds, their magic and their preeminent role in our continued survival on this verdant planet.

“I work with the plants, often using them to apply paint. I use them directly to print. I work intuitively and let the work lead me where it will and I hope to convey something of the mystery of nature and our inescapable relationship to the natural world.

My work springs from my awareness of our entanglement and interdependence on the natural world. It is created intuitively, inviting a chance to play a part. I work in acrylic layers, adding pencil scribbles, slashes of pastel, some collage, and washes, often applying paint with my finger, using a roller, or printing directly from plant material. Sanding, rubbing away and painting over.

Recent work focuses on trees and the crucial part they play and will continue to play in the future of our planet. My painting is a journey of reflection.”