ARTIST INTERVIEW SERIES: Natasha Redwood-Scribe and turning lifelong passion into a profession

Through practice and persistence, Natasha Redwood-Scribe has turned her lifelong passion for art into a career.

But even as she begins to sell her art, she is very aware of the work she must still do to develop her talent.

“I’ve painted my whole life, but to do it professionally, I guess like the past two years,” Redwood-Scribe says.

The development of a young emerging artist is never a straight line. There are multiple paths one can take and multiple timelines that they work on. But there is one thing that remains common: a deep-seated need for creative expression.

Redwood-Scribe has no settled on a particular medium or style, and there is no need to. She is still very much in an experimental phase of her artistic journey.

“Lately, it’s been a lot of paints, more like acrylic and gouache. I’ve experimented with pastels and oil paint and watercolour,” she says. “I’ve also done digital art too.”

But her inspiration has remained constant. In her experimenting, she always returns to the environment and natural world as a means of channeling what she is feeling.

“I do like painting nature. I do try to aim for a more realistic style, but again that comes more with practice.”

Redwood-Scribe says that the influence of nature in her work comes from her Ojibwe heritage. She grew up hearing stories from her father and grandmother, who is considered an elder within that First Nation.

Hearing stories of her history and culture has made her naturally curious about others. She finds meaning in understanding why an artist paints what they do.

“I like to know if there’s a personal story to it because, I mean, anyone can make art. It’s super easy,” she says. “But it’s always nice to learn why someone does it. So, I think it’s nice to have a little personal touch sometimes.”

Learning why an artist creates a particular work is an added reward, she says. It is something she also appreciates giving to those who ask her about her paintings.

“I enjoy it with the people who have asked about my art. I’m always happy to go, ‘Yeah, this is the story and what I did with it.’”

By Nathan Durec