A big congratulations to Natasha for her new status: IAPS Master Circle.

From Natasha:

"What an honor to wake up to this amazing news today! Thank you Richard McKinley and the IAPS (International Association of pastel Societies) team for this letter received this morning. I am now recognized as a Master Circle Member of IAPS!! I’m so happy I can hardly sit still!

I hope you’ll keep reading…..

It started with a nest. The evolution of an artist. The validation of following my heart, of Connecting my Eyes, Heart and Hand. This is what I teach my students. Stay true to your vision wherever it goes.

In 2017 this painting of an Oriole’s nest made it into the IAPS juried show. Crazy I thought, how did I manage that?? Since then, I got a few others accepted although I had backed off even entering. Why you ask? My voice as a contemporary realist seemed to leave my work unnoticed in the big, global organizations. I was fighting off the insecurity that all the “declines” were building and just stayed the course of following my heart and painting my bliss. “Good Neighbors” (the trailers) exemplifies pure raw feeling and honesty in my work. I decided I’d put them out there. I didn’t try to enter “straighter” work I thought the jurors might like, I simply believed in the piece and IT was the one I wanted representing me if I were fortunate enough to get in. As it turns out, it’s the painting that broke through.

I’ve not been counting to see if I was close to IAPS/MC. I was just painting. Entering when I had the work available. Just wanting to get work in and be a part. No drive toward an honor consciously.

The moral to the story is: paint what you love, love what you paint, and stand by it firmly. Believe in your passion and paint it. It WILL resonate and get you where you want to go.
PASSION PATIENCE PERSISTENCE "