Interview with Nat Orr

Nat Orr, From Dusk Till Dawn, 2023, Oil on Canvas

Can you describe the creative process you follow to translate your inspiration from nature into human faces and figures?

Step one, get inspired by nature whether in person checking out a garden or sunset, or perusing through nature accounts on social media. Step two, play around in Procreate with different color variations and compositions until I get a “this is the one” type of feeling. Step three, find a nice playlist or podcast and start creating!

What message or emotion do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your paintings?

If I could only say one word, it would be love. I’m a hopeful romantic which one can probably or hopefully see from my work. From the titles to the attention to detail in the expressions, as well as the level of patience and focus it requires to make these paintings, so much love goes into it all.

Are there any new mediums, techniques, or concepts you’re eager to explore in the coming years?

I see myself going to different residencies all around the world, experiencing the cultures, being surrounded by other artists, and creating work that I never knew was possible. From a medium standpoint, I’m pretty content with just sticking to painting, but I would love to explore doing it on a much larger scale like murals. We’ll see what the future holds!

In your journey as an artist, what has been the most unexpected experience, realization, or challenge?

Navigating social media has been a combination of all three. It’s so crazy how one day everyone under the sun will see a piece you post, and the next only 5% of your followers will see it. It can be extremely frustrating and challenging trying to figure out the algorithm and create content.

I encourage everyone (and myself) to trust the process, keep posting, and realize that it literally only takes for one piece to go viral and your life can change forever. It happens to people every day; your turn is coming!

Is there anything you do today that you wish you had known to do years ago?

TAKE DEPOSITS. Funny but not funny story, I remember back in high school when I would do drawing commissions, a guy wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a portrait of them. I didn’t take a deposit due to my naivety, and sure enough, as I was finishing the piece, they broke up. I never got paid, and the drawing ended up in the trash, but I definitely learned an important lesson!

Nat Orr, I Never Knew, 2023, Oil on Canvas

You participate in a lot of art shows, exhibitions, and events. How do you seek out opportunities?

I’ve been very blessed in this regard as the majority of these opportunities will just kind of fall in my lap! Two things that could help any artist get out there though would be, one, befriending curators as they’ll keep you in mind for future exhibitions and activations, and two, checking out your local and state arts council website. There are always calls for entries, grants, and other cool opportunities listed!

Do you have any barriers to being an artist? If so, how do you address them?

My 9-5 job, although I’m very very grateful for it. It’s sometimes hard trying to muster up the energy to create after a long day or work week. I try to utilize weekends and nights as much as I can. I also try to compare it to the gym sometimes. Just as they say the hardest part about going to the gym is simply going, the hardest part about painting can simply be getting to the easel. Once I make it and get settled in though, it’s typically a breeze. 

What’s next for you and your artistry? 

Hoping my creativity leads to me being an artist full-time one day! Until that happens, I’ll continue to paint and participate in as many exhibitions as possible. In fact, I’m currently preparing for a group show called The Art of Blackness that will be in Chicago this fall which I’m really excited about!