I am interested in the selection process, what I intuitively choose to paint when I look at something, how it happens.
In my older work I had a goal in mind, and then I had less and less of a goal. I pick out just a bit of every part I look at. I prioritize more using my intuition.
I remember when I was trying to render the skin and would have the hardest time selecting what to pick out because I would see so many varied tones. And so sticking to rendering a trompe l’oeil gave me a guide to follow.
Then I tried different contexts, I wanted to pick out only where the light hit the object, or render the structure of what I was looking at.
Now I am unaware of what makes me pick this or that. I focus on the intuitive exercise. I am curious to see what unconscious system I could discover.
I've been drawing and painting since I was young, learning from my painter grandparents. I also had formal training in Paris and was a photorealist painter for years. I've been part of different communities in my life, from Tamil Mauritians to Jehovah's Witnesses to Native Americans in Canada. I've learned that home is wherever I feel connected to my body, when I feel present, with a strong base of ideas that guide my choices, which give me the freedom to experiment with intuition, to let it flow.
More is talked about in my recent interview with Formation Art
https://www.formationart.com/artist-interviews/an-interview-with-nathalie-vogel