\A4fd[[x;:ii;i:been filled with art for much, much

longer than that.Taking up the entire third storY of

her Trenton, New ..lersey home,

Featherstone's studio was original ly

built in 1907 bY famous landscaPe

painter Frank Forrest Frederlck, wholived in the area when he served as the

director of theTrenton School of Art."We have one of his works that we

managed to find at an auction in Maine

several years agoi' says Featherstone."The studio has three separate rooms;

one with a north light studlo, one with

controlled light for stlll life painting, and

one with a fireplace. And the whole

thing is built along the roof line of the

home, so there are great windows with

lots of light and a great viewl'

In the studio, Featherstone goes

back ln forth from her highly realistic

images of desserts and sweets to a

trompe lbeil series she is currentlyhaving fun with that is done in a style

to imitate a child's drawing on a wall.

Each style, however, is a contemporarytwist on traditional still life painting.

"What inspires me most is the

creative voice that still lif-^ 9ives. Unlike

portralts or landscapes, still llfe doesn'tsimply exlst around us. You have toactually build the stage for the painting

and select the subjects, colors, and

textu res,' says Featherstone.Featherstone believes that, by

doing this, people wlll be able to

connect with her work despite the fact

that it comes fully from her ownimagination.

"The end result must arrive at

somethlng that draws the vlewer into

an lnvented realm that connects wlth

their experlences in a meaningful way.

I have always found still life painting to

Key Lime Pie, oil on panel

be quite a challenge for these veryreasons, and although it may qualifyme for the'bne-trlck-pony" category,I can't imagine painting anything elsel'

Another aspect of the work that is

important to Featherstone is humor.For her, this is an additlonal elementthat ls often not found in art.

"lf it is very well-painted, it is fun rohave on the wall and illustrates a senseoftrickeryi says Featherstone. "lt can bevery affirming, fun and sweet andinnocent as well. There is a happinessto them, and a lot of art doesn't havethat." a

Desserts, oil on panel

"One of the countrv's mostinnovativ€ and accomplished vouneaftists, Natali e F eath'erston works' -

exclusivelv in the centuries old realmof still life to cre ate dazzfins nairaifie

and trompe lbeil paintiffes thatcorub_ine the virnroisiW of i'DutCh

Master with the vision of athoroughly modern mind."

- KentWhipple, Director of Meyer-Munson Gallery