Dan's Papers - December 7, 2007 - Honoring the Artist: Shawn Widmyer-Natale

Cover artist Shawn Widmyer-Natale likes to do things with a twist. Figuratively and literally. Take, for example, this week's image of a holiday wreath. Her own addition of crab apples and a big bow gives the object a panache that sparks the Orient scene, allowing the viewer to take notice.

Q: Why do you say you like to give your images a "twist?" What does that mean to you?

A: It adds an element of surprise. It's like making a fashion statement.

Q: It's interesting you used that term, "fashion statement," when your paintings are not clothes. What's your connection with fashion?

A: I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York and got a degree in fashion illustration and design. I worked for Federated Department Stores, particularly Abraham and Strauss and Macy's.

Q: So you did their priint ads and their window designs.

A: Yes, but I was also in charge of visual displays. All the Christmas tree decorations inside Macy's, for example. We'd start planning in September and be finished by Thanksgiving.

Q: Now your sense of visual design is directed toward the North Shore. Not manufactured objects like at Macy's but real life. Why were you first attracted to this area?

A: I lived in Port Washingron, but I've been coming out to this region since I was five years old to stay with my aunt; she had the first bed and breakfast on the North Fork. I grew up sketching at the water's edge, inspired by nature and the area's peace and tranquility.

Q: Where do you get your ideas from?

A: I have 8-10 paintings in my head at any given time; I write the ideas down in a book. I'm grateful for that. The problem is, I don't have the time to paint full-time.

Q: I know you work at 1670 Furniture House in Southold. How does that association relate to your painting interests?

A: I have some of my Giclee prints on canvas there, like two fish on a dish and a North Fork truck with an American flag in the back seat. Again, they have a twist.

Q: You also have another interest, a cause that has become your mission.

A: Yes, it's a project called "Detection in Time," to promote breast cancer awareness. I make silk scarves to convey the idea that early detection is important. The image on the scarf features a large clock and guilded keys. Of course, it's symbolic of how important time is. We sell them at Southampton Hospital and at 1670 Furniture House.

Q: What's your personal connection to the project?

A: I have been a breast cancer survivor for 18 years. I got cancer when I was young, so I know how essential it is for early detection from a different perspective. There's another project I want to do concerning breast cancer. It involves putting a billboard up near the Midtown Tunnel promoting early detection. It's a dream of mine that's very meaningful. I believe it's possible. All I need is a sponsor.

Q: It's clear that you are very creative regarding your "mission" and your other kinds of paintings. How about other projects?

A: I am doing relief work, fashion paintings that are sculpted on canvas. They are also symbolic, with clouds leaving the body getting to the "other side." I can't just do landscapes. They bore me. I don't paint pretty pictures.

Ms. Widmyer-Natale can be contacted via email: at swidmyer00@aol.com. Her prints are at Southold's 1670 Furniture House (631-765-2000).