Every other week… (or sometimes, every 3 weeks, or 4….) we feature a new Joplin Missouri based artist who’s doing some incredible stuff. At the toad, we want to bring awareness to the incredible number of creatives hiding out in our area.

This (every-other-other) week, we are excited to feature Natalie Wiseman. Natalie is an extraordinary, award winning painter who lives in Joplin and talks about what it’s like to create with a family as inspiration.

Read on!

Who are you, Mrs Wiseman?

I am a mom, a wife and an artist. It took me along time to feel comfortable calling myself an "artist." It seemed like a title that needed to be earned. Then I realized that if you are, you are...not just when you are in the creative act of painting, drawing, or whatever the pursuit is, but from the moment you get up til the time you got to sleep. Even if you hold another supplemental job alongside the art, it's a particular way of looking at the world, and it's hard to deny it for long. I'm also an asker of questions. I think it comes with the artist package. Of course, that inevitably only leads to more questions instead of answers, but that's what the art is for- to work through all of that.

What's your one-paragraph artist statement, for those new to you and your work?

Artists Statement: I am a contemporary realist and, at times, borderline surrealist still life and figurative painter. The line between the two gets blurred as images of toys, food, lingerie and American popular culture collide to reveal life that is anything but still. I utilize all too plentiful pieces of household debris to build playful, complex compositions that are as much about revealing trains of thought and humorous connections as they are about accurately representing the objects themselves.

How early in life did you know you'd be an artist? Where did that start for you?

I can't remember a time when I wanted to be anything else, except maybe a writer. I have several childrens' books and other projects on the back burner, but all of my projects seem to be a combination of art and language to a certain degree.

What's your favorite book, podcast, or other resource for creative inspiration/education?

My favorite podcast for creative inspiration is John Dallton's Gently Does It podcast, in which he interviews contemporary artists. My favorite books right now for helping with the crative process are Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now and Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. Both of those help me out with a little focus and corralling of the constant bombardment of ideas, which is the part I struggle with the most.

What's the most awkward moment you've had as an artist, be it comedic, terrible, or both?

There are a couple of "awkward moments" that seem to be a recurring issue. Sadly, artists have to explain that even though they might sell a piece of art, the "intellectual property" rights still belong to them. People think that if they purchase a piece of art, then they get the whole kit and kaboodle, including a right to tell the artist whether or not they can make prints of it. Then there's the whole issue of pricing an original piece of art. I rarely look at what my hourly rate might be. It's got to be far under minimum wage. But yet, artists find themselves continually justifying their prices and often having to discount it, because people must think that it miraculously appears instead of being designed, materials purchased, labored over, labored over some more, scanned, framed, shipped to a gallery, shipped back from a gallery, and marketed on your social media and website. And, if you are lucky enough to sell your work through a gallery, they are paid a 50% commission.( But they take on the marketing and warehousing and sales, so I am more than happy to do that!)

To balance the previous question, what's the coolest honor you've received as an artist?

The coolest honor I have received as an artist is being asked to have my work at Lovett's Gallery in Tulsa, OK. There, it hangs alongside the work of some of the best contemporary artists in the world. I always say to walk in the door is the biggest simultaneous boost and blow to an ego. Ha Ha. I really love the quality and mix of art there.

You're married with 3 kids, and you've said before that you credit your family with your artistic evolution. How so?

I can't really separate my art from the day to day goings on within the life that I have with my family. All of it is woven together, so I have to give my family credit for many of my thought processes,( however warped they might appear.) To create from the place you know best, to me, is the only basis for authenticity. And you can spot something that's inauthentic a mile away!

What would you say to other moms out there who are dealing with the difficulty of balancing momming and arting?

My advice to other moms is to do the best you have with what you've got, where and when you've got it. Creating is like breathing. It's not going away, and it feeds your soul in those challenging mom moments when you might feel depleted and insufficient. You just have to get past the guilt that it may be taking time away from something else. There's always something else. Don't put the art at the bottom of the to do list. The art is important, and your kids need to see you doing it.

what's your biggest dream? Where would you love to see your work take you in 10 or 20 years?

Biggest dream is a hard one...It sounds cliche' but the biggest dream is just to be able to keep painting and enjoy a simpler life with less stress and more quality time with my family. I'm a pretty uncomplicated, low maintenance person. I would like to publish some of those childrens' books, though, because I think it's extremely important to get kids reading. Their future selves depend on it.

We love your use of everyday objects to tell a story. What led you to focus more on the objects than the people themselves in your work?

I am getting back to figurative works, having been focused primarily on still lifes for awhile. I just really enjoy capturing the surface qualities of stuff. Reflective surfaces like glass, plastic, bubblewrap, really get me going. And I like the imperfect minutia of daily life like crumbs, threads, and wrinkles because I think there's an underlying story behind all of those things. Plus, you can put together a story with just a few objects that can convey a powerful suggestion or humorous innuendo and layers and layers of meaning.

What's the best lesson you've learned as a creative? Your biggest piece of advice to pass on to others?

Best lesson is simply to put in the work. There's no substitute, no one's going to do it for you, and there's nothing to be gained by cutting your own corners.

what's your favorite spot in the Joplin area and why?

My favorite spot in Joplin is probably Spiva Center for the Arts for a quick boost in the ol' creative energy stores, and a pizza afterwards from Carmines.

Where do your ideas come from?

They usually come from an object that I want to capture or a funny phrase or play on words. If the phrase conjures up a funny mental image that makes me laugh (sometimes out loud) then I'm probably going to paint it. I love that most of the time, my art makes people smile. They might be scratching their heads, but they're smiling while they're trying to figure it out. Most people can usually relate to the objects I use, so they're initially lured in by the colorful toys and food. If they look long enough to get down to the connections being made and the heavier themes under all the eye wash, then my job is done.

What's your favorite Nicolas Cage movie?

Raising Arizona...it's quoted way too often at my house.

Natalie Wiseman: artist-of-the-every-other-week

The Joplin Toad is a Creative Collective.