a love story, how two became one

by Natalie Wetzel

“love_story...how_two_became_one”natalie

This painting was my wedding gift to my daughter and her new husband. It is a celebration of their love and the journey that has led them to marriage. This mixed media piece is likely the most intimate and symbolic work I’ve created to date. Usually I leave it up to the viewer to decipher what hidden messages or meaning I have behind each choice made and every layer created. However, I thought I’d share a little about my thought processes and intentions with this one. The dots, both black and white, symbolize Savannah and Tyler’s individual steps taken. The lacy gold ribbon symbolizes God’s love and is meant to remind them that He holds them both in the palm of his hands and that his banner over them is love. As you meander down and through the painting, you will see various places they have either traveled or lived throughout their journey. You will also find words hidden deep within the layers of media. These words are very intimate ones that were written by both Sav and Ty to one another during various stages of their lives. I included these fragments of conversation as a reminder to them of how their love for one another has grown and remained steadfast despite so many obstacles they’ve encountered. Toward the bottom of the painting, you will find a large circle where the black and white dots collide into one nucleus. That nucleus symbolizes their union in marriage and their anticipated lifetime of love together.

about the artist:

Natalie Wetzel is a professional artist who lives in Normal, Il with her
husband of nearly 30 years. They have four children together. Natalie holds
a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Illinois State University. It was
there, that she had the opportunity to study color theory, under the late
Dr. Harold Gregor. This experience transformed how she used color. To this
day, she is still using the techniques she learned under Gregor’s
direction.

Natalie owned and operated a fine art and gift boutique in Normal, Il
formerly known as The Pod. At The Pod, she represented many local artists,
as well as made and sold her own art. In February 2018, she closed her
boutique in order to focus more intensively on her artwork. Since that
time, she has been prolific in her production, as well as sales.

Natalie is primarily a mixed media artist. She enjoys working from a smooth
surface, like claybord, and prefers to work with encaustics, acrylics, and
ink. Although Natalie considers herself to be an abstract artist, she also
enjoys incorporating identifiable subject matter into her work. She has
found by doing so, more people can relate to and connect with her paintings.

Natalie has had the privilege of being chosen to be an artist in residence
for two years in a row at the McLean County Arts Center. She has also
received numerous awards from various art competitions online. Natalie has
shown her work in a variety of shows locally, as well as, having had
several of her images published in a Chicago based magazine and her work
chosen for the cover of a local government planning publication. In July of
2020, Natalie will participate in a three person show at the McLean County
Art Center.

Natalie finds great inspiration to create by observing the beauty found
throughout all creation. Her work is process oriented. It involves layering
materials in a way that causes colors to pop and adds depth and interest to
each painting. She is most known the the vivid colors that immediately
capture the attention of her viewers.