Madorla by Natalie Smith

Discovery

The Mandorla's shape, resembling an almond, has been associated with the heavens and divinity since ancient times.

Natalie Smith
Madorla, 2024
Acrylic On Canvas
36 x 48 x 1.25 in
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The Mandorla's shape, resembling an almond, has been associated with the heavens and divinity since ancient times. Its oval form recalls the cosmic egg, a symbol of creation and the universe's origin. The Mandorla's circular form also evokes the idea of a protective circle or a sacred space. It acts as a boundary between the mundane and the holy, emphasizing the sanctity of the figure within it. In some depictions, the Mandorla is adorned with radiant light or angels, further reinforcing its protective and divine connotations.

Subject Matter: Abstract
Collections: Abstracts

Other Work From Natalie Smith

See all artwork from Natalie Smith

German-born artist, Natalie Smith, earned her Bachelor of Fine Art in post-modern art and experimental theatre at the University of Giessen. She then moved to the USA to study painting and performance art at the University of Texas in Dallas. In 1995, Smith earned her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Montana.

After a 20-year career as a theatre director in Boston, Kauai, and San Francisco, Smith resumed painting in 2014, with a focus on abstract works. Natalie Smith produces a wide array of paintings in different styles and often uses textures such as paper, concrete, coffee, and gold bringing a more visceral experience to her paintings.

Smith’s formative experience is directly linked to her extensive travels. Her imagery often refers to the dark volcanic rocks of the Canary Islands, the ocean sunsets of Boston and Kauai, cold winters in the Rocky Mountains, or sunrises on Mars.

In her figurative works, Natalie Smith explores inter-dimensional thoughts and feelings. Her imagery uncovers the in-between of being both physical and spiritual, of essence and matter.

Natalie currently resides in Hailey, Idaho.

Recent Shows and Exhibits

"Human Form" and "Off the Path" exhibits at the Full Moon Gallery in conjunction with the Magic Valley Arts Council - January 25 to April 22, 2023

Jackson Hole Art Fair - 2022, 2023

Ketchum Arts Festival - 2021, 2022, 2023

“Visceral” at MADS ART GALLERY - Milan and Fuerteventura, June-July, 2022

Boomer Art Gallery - London, UK, June 2022

Sun Valley Holiday Fair, 2021, 2022, 2023

Sun Valley Arts and Crafts Festival, August 2021

Ketchum Arts Festival - 2021, 2022, 2023

Artist's Statement

My paintings invite a shift in perspective, often focusing on mountains, bodies of water, poetry, or translations of metaphors. Whether I expand or narrow the focus of the subject matter, I hope that the viewer feels the in-between moments of various dimensions or spaces. It is here where I find art to be the most interesting.