Natalie Russell

Natalie Russell mentored Catherine Lindow for Picture Hooks. As well as a very successful illustrator she Lectures at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee and she is a screen printer with a profound love and knowledge of colour.
At these informal talks by Picture Hooks, we have benefited from both the mentor and mentee's wisdom and portfolios. I wish I had taken photographs of Natalie's sketchbooks, but I didn't get the chance, for as with all of the illustrators whose work I have been able to see through this programme of talks the raw drawings, sketches and paintings have a beauty that surpasses any reproduction in books, there is nothing like being able to see and hold someone's work in the flesh.

Catherine Lindow I

I attended the Picture Hooks workshop of Catherine Lindow  and Natalie Russell before Christmas and couldn't share it then, as I was involved in sharing a collection of Christmas images that I had been gathering all year.
My delay does not represent the impact of this workshop. Catherine's work is phenomenally refined and complex and has an ethereal beauty that does not translate fully on the web and into photographs. It was an honour to be able to physically see and get immersed in the physical pictures.

Catherine Lindow lives in the next village to me and I was very interested to see her work and meet her.
She did not disappoint, especially as her first words to me were; "there is a squirrel in the maze". This sounds odd, but the National Gallery of Scotland is next to Princes Street Gardens which at the time was full of 'Winter Wonderland' including a Christmas tree maze. The squirrel was taking full advantage of this new forestation. What I liked about this exchange was it is usually me saying and pointing out odd things to strangers and I could see that Catherine had the same joyful eye for magic.
Below are some pictures from her sketchbooks full of lively lines and observation.