Check out Natalie Newton’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Newton.

Natalie, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I cannot remember a time in my life before I loved drawing. Making my own fantasies come to life on printer paper using my Crayola markers, pencils, or crayons was my favorite thing to do. A pad of paper and some colorful drawing implements were always necessities for me as a child on the go.

Most children who grow up with Disney’s animated movies have an almost innate affinity for all things Disney, and I was no different. Although I grew up in Glendale, my family was originally from southern California, so I was fortunate enough to travel there often as a child, enabling me to visit Disneyland on several occasions. The Happiest Place on Earth always captivated me, inspiring me to draw my favorite characters and attractions leading up to and following those special visits. As I grew older, fairies and mermaids became common subjects of my drawings, evidently still influenced by Disney’s retelling of fairy tales.

When my student responsibilities mounted, however, I found myself with less free time to draw. Reluctant to let my academic standing decline or to stop drawing altogether, my solution was to incorporate a creative aspect into my school projects whenever I had the chance. I took a special interest in the visual presentation of my science projects. I carried this practice into high school, where I was finally able to take drawing classes just as the opportunities to express myself creatively through school assignments became increasingly scarce. Nonetheless, I took pride in going above and beyond on the creativity of mundane assignments. My U.S. history teacher remembers me as the student who incorporated a Disney character in the weekly work summarizing concepts from the latest unit chapter we had covered.

Although I had developed an interest in biology, I wanted to continue my studies in art, as well. I did exactly that, earning concurrent degrees in biology and drawing from ASU. I love the challenge to take drawing seriously, as enjoyable as I may find it. Most of my late and all-nighters as an undergraduate were because of my drawing projects. I benefited greatly from understanding the time investment that each drawing requires and the commitment it takes to launch a career as an artist. As a recent graduate, I am just beginning my journey as a biologist and artist, and I eagerly await the next chapter in both of these areas.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Perhaps it was those early Disney influences that led me to create the portraits of women that I draw today. Like most little girls, I had always been fascinated by Disney princesses, though I found there to be a disconnect between these female characters and reality. From childhood into adolescence, the fantasies on the appearance of women continued, this time, in all other forms of media portraying photographs of purportedly real women, not just in the fictional, animated ones I saw as a child. I did not know at the time that all of these images are highly edited and specially curated. All I noticed was what separated those images from the women I saw , and the person I saw in the mirror. The challenges of my teen years only distanced me further from that composite, societally determined notion of what it means to be a woman, especially since most of my high school classmates accepted and reinforced those limitations of femininity. My dissatisfaction in the presentation of women, both real and fictional led me to use women as a subject in a different way. When it comes to my drawings of women, I wanted to focus instead on their identity and individuality. Through my use of colored pencil, I portray women as vivacious and spirited, independent and contented. I focus on the details of the facial features and experiment with color to convey the personality of each woman in my work. Although I prefer drawing portraits of real women, I am also exploring creating more drawings from imagination with females as the unifying subject. My intent with both my realistic and imaginative drawing approach is to celebrate women. Colored pencil is my favorite medium, followed by gouache, watercolor, and markers and pens.

What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
Everyone defines their own success as an artist. I don’t buy into the notion that there is one type of success to achieve as an artist and that you’ve only made it if you’re a fine artist with a studio space and gallery representation. For me, success as an artist means creating drawings that empower viewers. In my experience, the most powerful pieces of art have a message or a story to tell – they are about much more than art for art’s sake. Contrary to the claims of gatekeepers of the art world, I have found profound meaning in all forms of art, ranging from abstraction to illustration. If the viewer is able to connect with your art, causing them to ponder your work more deeply, you are a successful artist.

Aside from making meaningful art, you have to be prepared to fail as an artist. Not every piece will turn out as you imagined, but the experience will help guide you to make your next piece better. You continue to build off of your small victories and extended history of mistakes to get your work where you want it to be. Indeed, you are your harshest critic, but that may not be so bad. Know that you will always see the mistakes you’ve made in your work while others may never even notice the issue. Challenge yourself to continue creating even when it isn’t easy. Remember that it’s okay to fail because the journey to improving your work is ongoing.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can find my work on my Instagram page! I will have updates soon about a website where people can support my work.

Contact Info:

• Email: naninicolenew@gmail.com
• Instagram: @your_feminist_dream

Image Credit:
John Moran
Julia Martin

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