Queen of Darkness Painting

Natalia was born in the deep wild place in Siberia,close to the Bering street.Native people name her as KUKUNET.www.nataliadolgova.com Natalia Dolgova was born in Siberia in 1968 and trained as an artist in Magadan and then at the V.I. Mukhina Academy of Art in St. Petersburg. She has lived and worked in Denmark and now lives and works in the picturesque village of Netherthong in the Pennines of Yorkshire. She paints in both oils and watercolours to bring to life stories, legends and personalities from the places she lives. She uses a variety of techniques including Batik and the combination of different pigments to add depth and light to her compositions. Natalia's latest series of paintings returns to the myths and legends of her own (European) culture. She continues (as in her previous work) to preserve oral culture, stories and myths in her paintings. In each case she bases her paintings on a powerful character - some from the myths and legends we all know and others are spirits and goddesses from the landscape around her. Her most recent work harks back to the pre-Christian era when every feature in the landscape was ruled by its own deity. In the modern world we pass these natural phenomena by without thought or appreciation. Natalia's work asks us to think about the importance of nature in our lives and consciousness just as Botticelli used an enhanced natural world to showcase and emphasise the beauty of the subjects of his paintings. Natalia's composition is classical in the sense that the key character is central but the eye is then drawn to myriad details which gradually change and challenge the viewers initial perspective. Her rich colours and many layers of pigments add depth and emotion to her works. Her attention to detail goes down to the very textures and surfaces of each object - some seem to glow and others to physically emerge from the canvas. Her style is instantly recognizable. Each work by Natalia is an ongoing delight, easy on the eye but a challenge to the imagination as the characters at the centre of the work draw the viewer to them. Each viewing is a little different as the observer's perspective gradually moves. She has exhibited throughout Russia and in Denmark, Holland, Germany and the UK. Her paintings can be seen on her website www.nataliadolgova.com or at www.saatchionline.com/nataliadolgovasmalley