Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Natal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Nicole thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I first learned how to shoot film by using disposable film cameras when I was 12 years old. It wasn’t until film school in college that I began to hone my artistic skills. I picked up shooting on 35mm film again in 2017 when I was gifted a Canon film camera while living in Los Angeles. This is when I dove straight into experimenting with the medium. College was certainly a wonderful way to speed up the learning process but I wasn’t taught anything about analog photography. The skills that were most essential are understanding the basic camera mechanics of light exposure and aperture. The only obstacles that stood in the way to learning more may have been the lengthy process of film development and the high costs of film stocks. But, I wouldn’t change a thing because there’s a lot of fun in anticipating how my experimental film would develop and, the high costs of the medium ensured I really made each shot count.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve been creating with a few different artistic mediums since as early as I can remember. I have my mother to thank for recognizing my creativity as a little girl and helping me enter ceramic contests, trying out for theatre plays, modeling school, sewing, acting, singing, playing an instrument, photography, etc. In college, I decided to change my major from nursing to film school where I earned a degree in Theatre, Film, and Television Production from the University of Colorado. I am an Emmy Award Winning Director, published photographer, and professional multi-media artist. Currently, I sell giclee fine art prints of my film photography and resin wall art pieces for those looking to add a splash of color to their home. Even though the technique of double exposure and “film-soup” are decades old, I am proud of my work because it is unique one-of-a-kind artwork that can never be reproduced in the same exact ways (even by me). There is so much room for me to create visual realities that don’t otherwise exist by using the medium of film and implementing these experimental techniques.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I feel that one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is simply having the opportunity to share my art with those who connect with it. Creating fills me up with so much joy because I get to express my God given talents but there’s something so special about sharing it with the community too. There’s so much power in seeing your visualizations then manifested. Being able to call myself an artist in a world full of so many other talented artists dating back centuries is an honor and a gift I am so grateful for. Art is infused in everyday life from buildings to cell phones, cars, paintings, theatre productions, mother nature, music and more. This world would not exist without art and I am happy to contribute.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I first began using the medium of resin on gallery wood panels over my alcohol ink paintings in 2018. I fell in love and arguably hate as it was so difficult to master. I went crazy creating several pieces of art to sell and was disappointed when they didn’t on my website. I moved to Japan for a couple of months and painstakingly brought my large pieces with me thinking I would sell them there. I was disappointed yet again. It wasn’t until a couple years later when I was an art vendor for a month at a local coffee shop in town that most my pieces sold. I learned that it just takes getting your artwork in front of the right audience that makes all the difference. Failures are opportunities to be more creative in solutions to win.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nicolenatal.com
• Instagram: @femme_natal

Image Credits
These photos are mine and were shot on 35mm film and double exposed.