Natalie Woodson [JR RA 2020]

First name: Natalie ;
Middle name:  ;
Last name: Woodson ;

Member: Junior resident artist ; 
Begin: April 29, 2020 ;
End: n/a ;

Biography:

Born and raised in North Carolina, grew up in Virginia and lives in New York.

Natalie Woodson grew up in the woods of Pelham, North Carolina where she first picked up a pencil and thus began her never-ending desire to leave her unique mark.

The journey started early. At the age of 12, young Woodson began working in the styles of pen & ink and scratch-board etching. She was hired for local and personal commissions and submitted original pieces to local community art shows.

While in her high school years, Natalie attended school in the neighboring city of Danville VA, where she aided in teaching the computer art class her junior and senior year. That senior year, she was hired, designed, produced, and promoted a full album, social media (myspace profile), and press kit for an underground band from New York City. This led her into the streets of NYC. At 17, she organized the band’s CD release party at Piano’s in SoHo. She was hooked and knew this underdog was made for NYC’s underground.

In 2007, Natalie began her proper studies in the art world at The School of Visual Arts, NYC. This was her home and playground for four years. While at SVA, Natalie participated in 3 group shows and graduated in 2011 with a BFA in graphic design. It is in this department where she studied under, Adrienne Leban, Kevin O’Callaghan, Russ D’Anna, Tony Palladino, and Tim Samara. Each leaving a profound mark in her creative life.

For years, the artist stayed in the underground circuit. That changed in the spring of 2017 when Natalie was injured during a routine tetanus shot which led to severe pain and depression. Through darkness and difficulty, the artist kept repeating to herself one sentence: ’life over death.’ This inspired the series of Skulls & Souls. Beginning with an animal’s skull the artist superimposes their life’s likeness and their soul’s voice through their eyes. With each element, harmony and balance are sought to reflect nature, time, and spirit. The series also replicated her artistic evolution in media. Started with graphite, pen & ink, etching, then, the craft of pyrography (wood-burning). This is the very mark Natalie felt she has been meant to leave on this world.

2019’s New Year’s resolution was to emerge from her underground and to share her passion with others. She entered her first public art show on July 31st, Conception Arts in TriBeCa, NYC. There, she won the Conception Arts Show’s Award of Excellence. Then her first group show, “Burn This” was the next day, August 1st where three pieces from Skulls & Souls on display in Long Island City, NYC. Skulls & Souls has since been included in 9 more group shows ( and counting ) since then.

As of April 2020, Natalie Woodson became a junior member of the Salmagundi Club and as of August of 2020, a member of the Spliced Connector and SHIM Art Network.

https://www.skullsandsouls.com

Artworks: