Meet Natalie Hoopes

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

Natalie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve always been someone who knew they wanted to make art for a living. I was a very shy, anxious child who did not feel very confident when interacting with others. It was easier for me to express myself through art and writing. I also grew up in a family with two autistic siblings so I think that made us a little bit different. I think books, movies, music and art were a good hiding place for all of us. That is still true today!

I was fortunate enough to have many great teachers who helped me cultivate my passion into something enjoyable and tangible. I graduated from Brigham Young University in 2013 with a BFA in Illustration and have been hustling ever since! My ultimate goal is to write and illustrate my own picture books or middle-grade novels.

Right now, I’m trying to balance raising a toddler with being an illustrator. I love being a mom but I also want to honor my own need to be creative. It’s very tricky, but I’m not giving up anytime soon.

Has it been a smooth road?
Sometimes, being an artist is really, really fun. When you get the perfect balance of color, perspective, movement texture, etc. it’s such a wonderful feeling! But when you do something that doesn’t meet your own personal standards, it can be mildly (or majorly) devastating. I’m also a very perfectionistic person so I need to be careful not to beat myself up when something doesn’t work out.

I am also someone who deals with anxiety and depression so I need to monitor where I’m at a lot. Growing up, I had a handful of big depressive slumps that I didn’t get help for. I think that kept me from living life to its fullest and I’m pretty sad about that. More recently, after I had my son, I was hit with a massive wave of postpartum depression. I tried to hide it, but it ended up taking over my life for a while. Fortunately, my husband encouraged me to go talk to someone and it has made all the difference. There are still good days and bad days, but I don’t feel like it has to define me anymore.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a freelance illustrator who specializes in soft, dreamy images for children’s literature. I work mostly in watercolor, pen and colored pencils, although I dabble a bit in digital art as well. I’ve done some work for a few magazines and have illustrated two picture books (“Book”, written by David Miles, and “Alice’s Magic Garden” by Henry Herz).

I feel like I’m known for pieces with soft colors, lots of movement and good line/pencil work. Most of my images are a little on the fantastical side as well.

I’m most proud of my ability to still get things done even when I have a messy toddler crawling on me!

I think I have a very soft, ethereal voice in my work. I like things to be a little bit dream-like, even if they take place in the real world.

What are your goals over the next decade?
I’m currently looking for a good literary agent that could help me focus on my goal of becoming both a writer and an illustrator. I would love to write and illustrate my own picture books, and possibly comics or middle-grade novels. I have a lot of ideas that are competing for attention. I would love for them to find a tangible home over the next decade!

I’m also interested in exploring themes of motherhood and mental health/wellness in my work. These are pretty big facets of my life right now and I’d love to find a good way to express them. I also want to experiment with collages to make looser, more contemporary work.

See! I have too many things going on in my brain right now!

Contact Info:

• Website: nataliehoopes.com
• Email: nanmcarter@gmail.com
• Instagram: @nanlikesbooks
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nataliehoopesillustration/
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieHoopesArt?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

Image Credit:
Personal Photo credit: Tacy Rapier. All other images copyright Natalie Hoopes

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