Life and Work with Natalie Palmer-Osorio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Palmer-Osorio.

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 have known that I wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. I feel like I am most myself when I am making things. While studying at SCAD, I fell in love with stop motion animation. I am constantly looking to experiment with new techniques and mediums, and stop motion allows me to do that. I always want to jump between drawing, sculpting, model making, painting, and more and stop motion is the one way that I can bring it all together.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have absolutely faced obstacles getting to this point and I still feel like I have a lot of work to do to get where I want to be. It’s not like there is a huge job market for my skillset so I’ve had to make my own path in order to keep doing what I love. When I realized this, I started my own Etsy shop called NaPalmStudio. I took my skills for making models/miniatures and sculpting that I have from stop motion and started making jewelry and figurines. My most popular items are hand-sculpted and painted miniature food charms. I also sell some paintings and prints.

I also ended up taking a job as a luthier (repairing orchestra instruments) which doesn’t seem like it would really relate to my goals, but I have learned so much fine craftsmanship and woodworking and it has definitely improved my skills as an artist. I have fallen so in love with what I have learned that it has actually inspired the next film that I am working on.

Even though my path has not been exactly what I envisioned, I wouldn’t change one step of it. If I didn’t keep an open mind, I would not have learned so many of the things that I know now. My advice would be to not get discouraged when things don’t go exactly as you planned. You can always find a way to do what you love, even if it’s not in the way that you expected.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I mainly specialize in stop motion and fabricating models and miniatures, but I love to jump around and experiment as an artist. I am always looking to combine ideas and techniques in new and exciting ways. I think my multimedia experience is what really sets me apart. I find that I am most proud of my work when I am able to take more traditional techniques and bring them into modern media. My background before delving into stop motion and illustration was traditional painting and sculpture and that really shows through in my work.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
Most of the podcasts that I listen to are actually history related. I love being able to listen to stories of real people and how they affected the world around them. My favorite is called The History Chicks and its two women talking about influential women in history. There weren’t a whole lot of women talked about in my history classes growing up, so I feel like it’s important for me to learn about them on my own.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nataliepalmerartist.com/
• Email: nataliepalmer.artist@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/napalm_artist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nataliepalmerartist
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/napalm_artist
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NaPalmStudio

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