[Interview] Natasha Durley Brings More of the Natural World to the Art Store

The natural world has inspired countless songs, photographs, movies and other works of art. Illustrator Natasha Durley also draws inspiration from nature and what started as doodles during her day job turned into so much more. Natasha now works with brands all around the world, having been commissioned for murals, homeware, stationery, apparel, toys and even gaming apps.

Durley’s works especially focus on the diverse textures, shapes and vibrant colors found in nature. From this, she illustrates creative, colorful landscapes that are currently available to viewers not just on puzzles, pillows and books, but now also on The Frame to display in the home.

Samsung Newsroom sat down with Natasha to talk about how she finds inspiration in the natural world and how her work translates to a digital display such as The Frame.

▲ Natasha Durley

From Call Center to Creative

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your career as an artist? What piqued your interest in illustration? 

After school, I took a few years to travel and work. I ended up working in a call center but would practice drawing between calls, dreaming of a more creative career. Thankfully, I took the plunge and finally went to Arts University Bournemouth to study illustration. The rest is history!

Q: Your work is filled with vibrant colors, ties in elements of nature and animals and emphasizes textures. Where do you find inspiration to create such unique illustrations? 

I’ve always been fascinated by nature, so watching documentaries and reading articles or books about weird creatures and plants is a constant inspiration. I even follow a few biologists on social media.

I collect texture inspiration while on walks — I take photos of bark, rust or any surface that interests me. Working with color is very intuitive. I like gathering reference images just for their color palettes. But in the end, I enjoy the meditative practice of simply playing with color to see what feels right.

Q: Are there any benefits to displaying art digitally on a screen in relation to colors, textures or other factors?

Although I make my textures and paper-cut shapes by hand, my final illustrations are digital. The great thing about presenting in this format is that viewers are seeing all the colors and textures as I made them originally.

▲ As Mad as a March Hare

Partnering With the Art Store to Amplify Illustrations

Q: What drew you to partner with the Art Store?

I instantly knew I wanted to be part of the Art Store. Not only is my work introduced to new audiences, but I love that the artwork can be seen in high definition and at such a large scale on The Frame. My work has lots of detail and texture that can sometimes be lost when viewed on a smaller screen, like a phone.

Q: How has the partnership with Samsung impacted your career?

Working with Samsung has been a dream! I opened my online shop Sunny Beast around the same time I started the partnership with Samsung, and it’s been a big help in introducing me to new customers. It’s one of the reasons I decided to take some time to do more personal work, as connecting with consumers has been so fun. I often get emails and DMs from people who show me my artwork on their Frame TVs!

▲ Easter Stamps

Q: In partnering with the Art Store, you’ve been able to promote biodiversity with SUGi, which is something you’re passionate about. How did this come to fruition?

NAVA Contemporary¹ kindly asked if I would like to contribute to an Art Store collection they were curating in partnership with SUGi.² They were putting together a selection of illustrations focused on biodiversity, and as my work mainly focuses on celebrating the natural world, I couldn’t say no. For me, it’s also essential to give back to the very thing that inspires my work, and I’m always looking for ways to donate to conservation projects. The partnership would enable a portion of the revenue to go directly to regenerating nature in urban areas, so the whole project was a perfect fit!

Q: Are there any works of art that you would you recommend to consumers to display on The Frame? What are your top three pieces? Please give us a very brief explanation of each.

▲ Gobi Desert

Gobi Desert: When we bought our Frame TV and were checking out how my illustrations looked, we were blown away by how nice it made this illustration of mine pop. It’s hard to explain, but it looks alive. You could almost step inside the scene!

Volcanoes: One of my most popular prints and looks excellent on The Frame if you like bold color, texture and form.

▲ Volcanoes

For the Love of Plants: For me, it symbolizes the beginning of my whole illustration career as it was my degree showpiece, created over ten years ago! It works well on The Frame because although it looks like a calming pastel landscape at a distance, you’ll see more detailed scenes and stories if you look a little closer.

▲ For the Love of Plants

The Next Wave of Illustrated Art 

Q: How have you seen the integration of technology within the art space change the way people consume art? Have there been changes to how your art is consumed? 

People were mainly running into my work on the products my illustrations ended up on — children’s books, puzzles, bedding, etc. People increasingly recognize my work from social media and the online space now, so there is a shift.

Q: What will the future of illustrated art look like as technology becomes increasingly integrated in the space? 

Traditionally, illustration was all about creating art for a commercial client. However, with the increased reach of technology and new possibilities like the Art Store, I see a lot of new opportunities for illustrators to work both on commercial projects and on projects directly for consumers.

To see more of Natasha Durley’s artwork, head to the Samsung Art Store in The Frame.

¹ NAVA Contemporary is an online art gallery featuring a curated selection of artwork by compelling artists and an advisory offering art consultancy services. Established in 2017 by Nicole Archibeque and Valerie Altahawi, two professionals with a combined 30 years of experience in the art world, they were compelled to create an accessible environment that fosters the discovery of and dialogue around contemporary art.
² SUGi is a global platform fully dedicated to biodiversity building, ecosystem restoration and reconnecting people to Nature through the creation of ultra-dense, biodiverse forests of native species primarily in urban areas.