ABOUT
NATASHA CREATES
Natasha Creates started as a passion project born out of lockdown. At the beginning of 2020 I began the ‘one sketch a day’ challenge, expecting to run out of subjects and time to draw pretty quickly. But then the pandemic hit and suddenly there was a lot to capture.
During the pandemic I started working from home which afforded me more time for art and learning new digital skills like Procreate. I soon found myself sketching local places I missed. I wanted to create art that celebrated the beautiful city of Cambridge and surrounding area, and share them with others so they too can capture their memories and special moments. By the end of 2020 I had the confidence to open my Etsy shop, exactly one year after my ‘sketch a day’ challenge started, on 1st January 2021.
Since then Natasha Creates has evolved and created amazing opportunities and commissions including an art installation in the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre in Cambridge, my own range of greeting cards with leading UK supplier Abacus Cards and I have recently been shortlisted for the Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition 2024! You can explore these projects in my portfolio.
CREATIVE PROCESS
My artwork is hand-drawn digitally using Adobe Procreate and often features landmarks and landscapes. I use vibrant colours to build up layers of light and shade. Some of these layers, along with mid-tones, are removed to leave behind negative space. Texture and ‘inky splats’ are used to add dimension and movement.
I am inspired by the mark making of impressionism (particularly Monet and Van Gogh), and the bright colours and layering of bold shapes in pop art (namely Warhol and Lichtenstein). I also love the story telling and techniques behind the work of Charlie Mackesy and Raymond Briggs that capture everyday moments and memories.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Growing up in a village in Cambridgeshire, I always wanted to be an artist. I spent a lot of time drawing and painting, mainly working in watercolours and acrylics.
After leaving school I studied a Foundation Art Degree at Cambridge Regional College where I refined my technical drawing skills and was introduced to the world of design. I subsequently went on to study a Graphic Design Degree at Coventry University, where I fell in love with it (and my now husband!).
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I have been a Graphic Designer for nearly 10 years within the marketing industry, and now balance my time working as an Artist and Illustrator also.
