About the Studio Journal
A record of place, process, and the contemporary Australian landscape.
This is a studio journal from Australian artist Nat Ward. It is a place to document the long-arc of a contemporary painting practice—the projects, the research into place, and the thinking that sits behind the work.
The Practice
Nat’s work is grounded in the deep observation of specific environments and their hidden histories: river systems, regional scrubland, and sites of memory. Her paintings are built through a deliberate, tactile layering of oil and wax, capturing the vibration of natural light and the fragile complexity of the Australian bush.
A Year of Recognition
Nat’s practice has entered a significant period of institutional validation. In the last 12 months, she has been a finalist in more major national landscape awards than almost any other artist in the field—including the Hadley’s Art Prize, the KAAF, and the Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize. In 2025, she was named the winner of the John Villiers Outback Art Prize.
Her landmark Noreuil project, which explored the WWI connections between Albury and France, culminated in a major solo exhibition at MAMA (Murray Art Museum Albury) and saw Nat awarded the Medaille de Reconnaissance by the French Government.
What You’ll Find Here
Rather than a typical newsletter, this journal offers a quieter, more considered view into the studio. Subscribers are invited into the ongoing life of the work through:
Studio Notes: Works in progress and insights into the oil and wax process.
The France Files: Behind-the-scenes documentation of research and international exhibitions.
Reflections on Place: The historical and environmental research that informs the “Noreuil” and “Nail Can” bodies of work.
Collector Priority: Subscribers receive early access to new releases of work and private exhibition previews before they reach the general public.
This journal is for the collectors, curators, and supporters of contemporary landscape who wish to follow a serious painting practice as it unfolds.
Join the studio journey by subscribing below.
