Meet Natellie ~ a Most Amazing Artist and Cute as a BUG!

Travels

to Morro Bay

brought me and Toulouse

to the home of

Natalie Saia,

a young artist who's art is

knocking my socks off!

I actually met Natellie about

four years ago.

Her mom, Barbara, is the rock star

that raises funds and runs

marathons

and half marathons

for Team in Training,

and for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I knew Nat as a runner and

serious basketball athlete

and a neat "kid".

....

flash forward

.....

I casually pop by one of my favorite junk haunts,

Ruby Rose.

There is Barbara (HI Barbara!)

and her daughter Natellie

and

Natellie has her

OVER THE TOP

fun

Mixed Media art

cheerfully

displayed

among all the really cute things

that Ruby Rose sells.

WOW!

I bought a couple of cool pieces:

1. a cool knife, fork and spoon drawing

and

2. an amazing drawing of keys and more keys and more keys

(like to your heart)

titled

"ESQUELETOS"

(skeleton keys)

the keys unlocked my heart

and I love

Natellie's art!

So, we talk! Natellie is studying Graphic Art and plays serious basketball and has only a couple of weeks left in SLO -

I am thinking that maybe Petit Soleil

would be the perfect

"second"

stage

for

Nat's art.

Toulouse and I went to Morro Bay

to discuss this further

...

Nattelie has been

seriously

painting and creating

beautiful

works in a little,

tiny corner of her bedroom!

Every nook and cranny was

colorful

with amazing stuff

to look at

Natellie collects everything NIKE...

she has some

300 pairs

(or some crazy number like that)

There are Nike shoes,

Nike shoe boxes and

Nike shoe drawings

(that she drew)

proudly displayed

everywhere.

In the kitchen

are these

precious little

cupcakes

(that look almost good enough to eat!)

Back in her bedroom hangs this super cool chandelier

(surrounded by Nike boxes)

It was a feast for my eyes - everywhere!

And you know,

Barbara, her Rock Star mom,

is an

avid collecter and artist

in her own right....

(that will be a whole other adventure with Toulouse)

Natellie has a portfolio

of really creative

work

that she did

for school

...

I ESPECIALLY LOVED THE CRANES!

like the origami cranes

in Japanese legend that

come to life and grant wishes,

good health

and healing.

the colorful

Dia de los Muertos art

were tucked in

behind

baskets of cherries

..

Back to her little corner

next to the closet door that she drew

a

Nike shoe on

she creates

...

and types little quotes

and

goodies

on

an electric typewriter

I had such a fun couple of hours,

inhaling all the

colors,

the collections,

the smiles

and cheeriness

of the home that

Natellie

lives in

(while she's home from college)

and

creates in

and shares with her family

and dogs...

Thanks, Natellie (here with Betsey Johnson)

I had so much fun

and

I cannot wait to see all the fun,

colorful

amazing creations

you will

show at

Fete d'Arte

at Petit Soleil!

Au Revoir,