Bio

Dr. Natalia Balo (BFA, MFA, PhD) is a contemporary Australian figurative artist, born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in 1966.  She is a graduate of the Kharkiv State Art College (BFA in Art Education, 1985), Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts (at the time the Ukrainian campus of prestigious St Petersburg Art Academy, former Russian Imperial Art Academy; MFA in Graphic Arts and Book Illustration, 1991), and she completed her postgraduate research at the University of Newcastle (PhD in Natural History Illustration, 2006)
Natalia’s fine art education in Ukraine (1976-1991) is based on classical Renaissance traditions of the European Academic Art School; she is a direct third generation student of the world-famous painters Ilya Repin, Michael Vrybel and Valentin Serov.  Her training was based on the historically famous curriculum of Classical Realism, which included working with life-models, intense study of human anatomy, perspective, en plein air painting, calligraphy, printmaking and art restoration. Her fine art education provided her with unparalleled skills in academic drawing in particular, which today is a fundamental challenge for many artists. As an official State recognition of her professional achievements she was awarded membership at the prestigious professional Artists Union of Ukraine at the age of 22.
In Australia, Natalia’s talent was recognized instantly when her very first artwork painted and exhibited in Australia – “Self-portrait in Ukrainian dress” – won the Grand Overall prize at the Noosa Art Show 1996, and attracted numerous portrait customers. She has since completed many portrait commissions, including the official portrait of Joan Sheldon (then Deputy Premier of Queensland) which participated in the Archibald Art prize exhibition of 1998. Natalia has won numerous Art prizes for her portraits, still-lifes and landscapes in Brisbane, Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Currambine, Kiama, Scone, Port Stephens, Newcastle, Redcliffe, and others.

To add to Natalia’s achievements, she was awarded APA grant to complete a PhD research in bird illustration, a project she worked on for 5 years. She graduated as Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Newcastle, NSW (field of Natural History Illustration) in 2006. The PhD thesis title: “Investigation of the Structural Anatomy of Birds and Analysis of its Influence on the External Design, in Order to Develop the Methodology of a Constructive Approach to Drawing Birds”. The research is published as an artbook titled “Birds Anatomy for Artists”, ISBN 9780987337306, now a University textbook for Fine Art students. The book opens with a foreword by famous Australian ornithologist Dr. Penny Olsen, and is very popular among the bird watches, artists and bird lovers, and is available at the selected bookstores and directly from the Artist.

Natalia is exhibiting her work regularly at the Art Shows around Australia; winning over 30 First Art Awards to date; her works are included in many private collections. In 2007, following her Art Awards (First Award in Sydney, City of Ryde, and Best Portrait Award in Kiama 2006) an article on her portraiture was published in the Australian Artist Magazine.
Natalia works in many painting mediums – oil, watercolour and pastel, and in many genres – botanical and wildlife illustration, still-life, and pain air landscape and seascape studies. However, her passion is portraiture – painting people, animals and birds. In addition, she is a qualified specialist in classical art restoration. Her studio is open to the public by appointment. Natalia takes portrait commissions and also conducts regular Art Classes and Workshops.