Tracing
the Steps in the
Development Process
This series reflects an aesthetic
leap in my work, but my forward
movement was achieved bit
by bit. I would like to share how
the series came about because
I think it demonstrates several
processes that artists use to
develop their work.
1) Arrange Your
Own Retrospective:
Looking Back to See
Ahead
The impetus for my new body
of work was a serious look back
at work I had made some years
before. I think this is a valuable
process for any artist. When
you look back at older work,
you can see how your work
has developed, what consistent
tendencies you have shown over
time, and where you are headed.
In my case, just prior to the third
annual encaustic conference in
2009, I was looking through a
book about the early work of Lee
Bontecou. Her work jogged my
memory of a series I had made in
the 1990s that I called the Black
Relics. I was inspired to revisit my
early pieces to see if there was
still something in them for me.
2) First Imitate, Then
Innovate
The first new works I made
were basically the same as the
old in being composed of small
elements attached to wood with
tacks. I wanted to find a way to
add encaustic to this work, so I
experimented by adding and
subtracting areas of encaustic
and various other materials with
each new piece I made. I also
began purposefully keeping a
notebook of sketches and ideas
for future works.
Some Fell Among Thorns, from the Running Stitch
Series, 2010. Encaustic with mixed media, 24”H x
42”W.
Nancy Natale
Portfolio
Black Sun, 2009.
Encaustic with mixed
media, 24”Hx12”W.
15
Spring
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