Shona M Macdonald is a mixed media fine artist based in Sussex, UK.
Working across a range of media, her work touches upon themes of fragmentation, trauma, repair and
reimagination. She explores her subjects through drawing, sculpture and painting, with a unifying aesthetic and
sensitivity, emphasising the use of natural materials, earth tones and a sepia palette. Her work suggests an
underpinning, unseen narrative, never fully elucidated yet suggesting a journey through an imaginary inner
world. She is concerned with learning from and creating in harmony with the natural elements, seeking to use
handmade processes, allowing the inherent qualities of the chosen materials to convey energetic significance
and to connect the viewer with the artwork and the living world which bore it.
Having recently been awarded an MA in Sequential Design and Illustration with distinction from the
University of Brighton, her current work evokes the synergy between traditional mythic folk and fairy tales and
psychological processes involved in moving through trauma; specifically, Jungian Shadow Work and the
symbolism of animal presences within global folk culture. In her process she moves between a drawn narrative
and embodied sculptures, both stemming from a shared thematic root; a sculpture emerging when a significant
animal presence materialises as a focal point in the narrative; each animal form serves as a marker of a facet of
the human psyche.
As part of her artist practice she works with foraged driftwood from the lochs and beaches of North West
Scotland, the native waters of her ancestry. She reimagines these unusual fragments into new shapes, allowing
the natural weathering of the elements to hollow and sculpt the wooden surfaces into uniquely fragile and
beautiful pieces which each hold their story of provenance within their forms. The driftwood fragments are
never modified or shaped, always being recombined exactly as they were found; a process that echoes the
human experience of assimilating damage and scarring into ourselves as a means to move forward, changed but
still whole.
The wood is blackened through charring and iron staining, hinting at a phoenix-like rebirth through fire. Each
animal form is a temporary assemblage of fragments, inherently impermanent due to the fragility of its
component parts, yet eerily beautiful. These temporary forms are then rendered permanent by casting in bronze
through the lost-wax process; a lengthy and laborious methodology with inimitable results, sympathetically
capturing the delicate patterns of the weathered driftwood and replicating them in metal, then scorched and
rubbed back to reveal a signature sepia toned patina, this time truly forged through fire.
Her public art bronze sculpture, “The Urban Fox” was unveiled by the Mayor of Worthing in Homefield Park in
early December 2025.
Shona M Macdonald holds a BA (Hons) Fine Art from Middlesex University and MA Sequential Design &
Illustration (distinction) from University of Brighton. She is currently the owner and resident artist at Artspace
13 in Worthing. She holds workshops and exhibits regularly, and her work is collected in Europe and the USA.
about
Biography
Natalie Ryde (b.1981) is a London based artist with a cross-disciplinary practice. Currently Jewellery Lecturer at University of Creative Arts (UCA), Farnham and Artist-in-Residence for Bow Arts Schools, Natalie balances studio practice and pedagogical work in the cultural and education sectors. She is a studio holder at Crawley Road Studios N22 and is the studios’ event curator and community engagement lead.
Artist Statement
“I look at natural structures that replicate at different scales and imagine their invisible, vital, animating energy. I think about the cosmic forces, tides and elements that impact the world around me and space beyond. I am drawn to patterns I observe both in nature and the man-made environment and the way objects and places are shaped by their interactions, particularly by the repetitive rhythms of life. There is a grounding in pattern, a security that things will continue, like reaching the edges of a map, there is a certainty that the terrain extends beyond the visible. Each painting starts with an idea which can come from all kinds of research or sources whether that’s in quantum physics, literature, a fleeting moment of realisation, a heart-moving observation of colours in a landscape; it could be a feint inkling or a concrete brief for a commission but in the end that doesn’t matter. When someone else sees that painting they bring their own life experience, their niche knowledge to it and it becomes something else, something personal to them and that, for me, is the magical moment where the art takes on a new life.”
Natalie turns to the made objects in her studio to inform many of the pieces, often working from what she calls “expanded knots”, a series of small sculptures with a starting point in mathematical “prime knots” which have the feeling of 4-Dimensional forms like a Klein Bottle or a Mobius Strip. These objects are made from crocheted wire and yarn or strips of paper, old drawings, tape and cardboard expanding a single knotted loop into a 3-Dimensional structure. She makes collages, drawings and paintings to decipher how these complex forms can be represented on the 2-Dimensional plane and in turn these curves, angles and directions of line help to lay down the first compositional lines in a painting. With a First Class BA(Hons) and PG (Dip) in Jewellery, the making involved in the process is important to Natalie and she maintains that in every drawing there is a process of making and in every object a process of drawing, a mantra that seeps through into her work as an educator.
I have spent most of my life working as a nurse. However, the urge to paint has always remained. Engaging with abstract painting gives me the
freedom to create without constraints or predetermined outcomes, fostering a sense of excitement and anticipation akin to the initial notes of a
beloved song. My artistic process encourages improvisation, imagination, and the embrace of the unexpected. The inspiration stems from the rich
palette and diverse forms found in nature. Nature fearlessly expresses its beauty, with elements like a daffodil embodying a harmonious connection
to the universal order. Such creations exist without the burden of self-concept, allowing them to be admired for their intrinsic nature, free from
imposed labels or expectations.
In my creative process, spontaneity plays a crucial role. My works often spring to life from chance markings, the rhythms of music, instinctual
choices of colour. I love exploring a wide- range of mediums, including acrylics, inks, and oils, to craft abstract compositions.
The rich tapestry of the natural world and my extensive reservoir of personal experiences and emotions deeply inspire me. I find endless fascination
in colour and its boundless capacity for expression. My experimentation has led me to adopt a new way of using my leftover acrylic paint to produce
an ongoing series of works,
