Natalie Meins ‘22
Major: Studio Arts (Painting and Drawing)
I always knew I wanted to go to school to study the arts; it was never even a question for me. There wasn't ever a specific moment where I decided to study studio arts, it was more of a gradual decision as I became more invested in drawing and painting over time.
My major is studio arts, or more specifically, painting and drawing. My time at LMU has been both amazing, but also unconventional, which I feel like a lot of people in my graduating class can say. Because of Covid, I was unable to study abroad. Instead, I got involved with LMU's Tower yearbook as a digital illustrator. My two years working there have been really constructive and I've learned a lot about working in a professional environment. My coworkers there are so fun to work with and I love doing something creative for work.
After graduation, I’ll be working as a research assistant with an LMU professor helping out in her art studio, and I'm about to start selling my line art as tattoo flashes. I'm also hoping to attend one or two artist residencies next year, including the MacDowell residency in New Hampshire. I think it's a great way to grow in your artistic practice while making connections and learning from other artists around you. I came to this decision mostly because I feel like the time after college is an opportunity to network and get to know the industry.
I've also been fielding orders for painting commissions; if that turned out to be a sustainable long-term thing, that would be amazing! I also would love to work for a creative company that emphasizes the creative process as a group effort; companies like Laika, a stop-motion animation company, are always looking for artists of all kinds to be a part of their movie-making process. Several years down the line, I'm hoping to have enough industry experience to be a part of something like that.
I'll definitely miss the community at LMU when I leave the bluff. I love that I can text questions to my art professors and they're always willing to help. I'm going to miss going in the studio late at night to find some of my friends already there making something dope. LMU has always felt like we're all in this together and I'm really going to miss that feeling.
Find her portfolio at https://nataliesart.com/