About the Artist

When asked to write up something about herself and how she got where she is now, Natalie Stafford wrote this.

"I drew small sketches in a journal as a girl, of birds and children. I have always loved to draw. But it never occurred to me that I might use art as a profession. As a teenager in high school, I did a lot of babysitting and especially loved the young children. That experience made such an impression on me that I went to college to become an elementary school teacher, at Wheelock College, in Boston. I minored in art and continued drawing and painting.

I began teaching 5 year-olds in kindergarten in Guilford, CT and continued in North Haven, CT and Arlington, MA. I loved it. After 8 years, I was asked to teach first grade, in Arlington, MA, and I enjoyed that as well for 5 more years. I got a Master’s degree in Special Education at Northeastern University in Boston, MA and was then asked to be a Special Education consultant in Brattleboro, VT. I went to Vermont and was there for only two years. I missed being in the classroom with the children. Then my younger brother Bill died suddenly and it made me take a good look at my life. I had to think about what I wanted to do.

After 15 years teaching kindergarten and first grade and Special Education Consulting, I changed careers. For years I had done pastel portraits of friends and people who asked, and many drawings. I never thought I would go on to art school, but I tried it anyway. I was accepted at the Rhode Island School of Design in the Illustration Department, and off I moved to Providence, RI. I thought I wanted to illustrate children’s books or magazines. After taking lots of classes as RISD, I learned I loved to paint with oils and pastels- still lifes and portraits especially. I was so used to getting a regular salary as a teacher that I went on an interview at college to see about getting a job with Hallmark Cards. I was offered a position, so off I went to Kansas City, MO, to work for Hallmark. I worked there for 13 years, staying much longer than expected. I liked it a lot. While I was there I was reunited with and married my Winchester High School sweetheart Norm ,and adopted our then foster son Daniel. We moved back to New England, to Western MA, to raise our new son. We wanted to be close to our families. We love New England and are here for good now.

I love being an artist but my first love is being a wife and mother. It’s what matters most to me. I began freelancing as an artist and did well for several years as an illustrator for greeting card companies. Then I began my own company, selling my paintings and a few notecards. It grew. I painted more and more. I made prints of my paintings. People were enjoying it and so was I.

My initial interest in art was in high school. My art teacher encouraged my drawing and painting. I really enjoyed painting impressions of things I saw. I still do. Also, my older cousin Carol was an artist and I admired her so much. I know she influenced me a lot.

I have been influenced by the artwork of Manet, Beatrix Potter, Mary Cassat, Hopper, Degas, Sargent, Monet, and Asaro, among others. I learned a lot of painting skills while working at Hallmark with other artists. It was there that I became really interested in watercolor as a medium. I became allergic to pastels and needed another medium. Watercolor is challenging and takes a lot of planning. I really like it and know I will be learning more about it for the rest of my life. I still enjoy using oils and acrylics also.

My favorite subjects are flowers- of all varieties. Wildflowers, garden flowers, plants and all sorts of blossoms are always catching my eye. It seems they all have qualities I admire. I love the exquisite beauty of the peony, for instance. Growing up, my mother grew many perennials and annuals in her gardens. Our yard had peonies, roses, iris, daffodils, lilacs, tulips, apples trees, and lots of other colorful and beautiful flowers. She displayed many vases of flowers around the house. I grew to love the flowers as she did. Now I have my own perennial gardens and continue to add to them.

My next love would be painting and drawing people, especially children. It is difficult to capture the moment in time with young children. I take photographs and use them as references. There are several paintings in my website of children in my life. I want to show the happiness they see, and the sweetness, simplicity and joy of childhood.

I also enjoy painting birds and anything in the world of nature, still lifes, and landscapes. Most of my paintings are personal observations of the natural world. The outdoors has always been a part of my life, as I attended several summer camps throughout my childhood and went camping with my family. My Dad influenced me a lot as he was a naturalist for his whole life. Now my family enjoys canoeing, camping, hiking, gardening, and walking our dogs. I see beautiful things everyday and want to express the beauty of life in paintings.

Usually I paint on the spot, either painting outside or setting up a vase of flowers inside. Sometimes I take photographs and use them as research, using several to get the image I want. I always do a detailed drawing before I begin painting. The drawing is the framework and base for the painting. I decide on the layout, composition, colors and lighting as I draw. I also decide on the focal point of my painting. I will do a value sketch to check my ideas. When I have checked everything I start to paint.

I love to paint with loose and descriptive brushstrokes. I love color. When I use watercolors there are many layers to plan ahead and execute, building up from the very lightest color to the darkest. When I use oils or acrylics, it is the opposite sequence. I paint from the darkest to the lightest colors.

The subject of light is very important to me also and always captures my interest. Light expresses the mood of a painting. Without it, the painting isn’t alive to me. Early morning and late afternoon are my favorite times of day for the light. The light shows warmth or drama, casting shadows or making a glow. It touches and excites me always.

My style is always evolving, but it is a mixture of impressionism and realism. Sometimes a painting is a simple interpretation of things I have seen. Sometimes I spend a longer time and do a more in- depth painting. I long to be able to spend more time painting. I know I will paint for rest of my life, continuing to improve and grow in skills and make paintings that give value, well-being, love and peace to others. The world of nature will always be a strong influence on me, as I continue to paint."