About The Artist

Natalie McGuire Mixed Media Artist-creator of Photozaics Natalie was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her mom came here from Germany and while dad was born here in Saint Paul. She currently resides in Saint Paul, she loves the small-town feel that the city offers, and the location, proximity in the US is perfect for her travels. Natalie became interested in art at a young age, recalling that she grew up in an “ugly frame” household. Looking back, laughing, she says “I don’t blame my family, as this is what started my creative side to flourish”. Her favorite holiday memory, at seven years old, Natalie went in the local woods and found pine branches that the city parks staff trimmed off and decided to make a wreath for her parents that Christmas. She pulled all the materials into her room and began to tie each branch to an old wire coat hanger using mom’s scrap yarn. Her parents were so impressed with her talents that neither of them could take credit for them. That was only the beginning. Natalie could look at craft, study the formation, and replicate it. She went on to make crafts with other neighborhood friends and we would sell them on the street corner. She got my first camera in sixth grade with scholastic bucks (with the help of other classmates). The rest of the year Natalie photographed her classmates and fell in love with photography. She learned later in life that her grandfather (dad’s side) was a photographer, and this is where she received her natural-born talents from. Grandpa would shoot black and white and then would hand color the images as he didn’t have the money to shoot color film. Her Aunt Natalie (mom’s sister) is where she got my creative side. She would take her to plays as a kid and teach her to make Ukrainian Easter Eggs and showed her the star consolation sky. Her Aunt saw and encouraged her creativity and helped form Her into whom she is today. Her formal training started with community education classes to learn the language of photography this was after high school. Natalie received her associate degree in fashion merchandising, but this didn’t pay the bills or fuel her creative side like she thought it would. So, she decided to go back to school and attended Hennepin Technical college to pursue her photography career. She studied under Paul Sinkler, Tim Gray, and Tom Hanly until the program closed. Natalie continues with her education in non-conventional ways like reading blogs, searching the internet for tips and tricks. She is involved with a few local Center for the arts and most recently she joined Minnesota Mosaic Guild, NEMAA, ST. Paul Art Collective, WARM, ACW(Art to change the world), and, Hallberg center for arts, and networks with other local artists. She started her photography career doing portraits and weddings, but her love of nature is what drove her creativity. She started selling matted photos and simple framed artwork at local art shows in 1998. It was a trip to the north shore that gave her creative side a boost. While visiting a friend’s cabin on a day trip, she and another went to the shore to pick rocks. It was there that an annoying horse would not leave her alone, forcing her into Lake Superior for relief. Looking down in the water Natalie saw a great photo opportunity and snapped the shot of rocks underwater with a gorgeous light beam highlighting some of the rocks. Immediately the light bulb went off and she thought rocks in the photo, rocks on the frame! From there she toyed around with driftwood, acorns, leaves, flowers. People at the shows loved the unique frames and preferred them over just a plain matted photo. 2000 this same friend introduced her again to mosaics and it was a natural progression to use stain glass as one of her materials to bring the essence of the photo out on the frame. Natalie calls this process Photozaics (start with a photo and finish with mosaic). Her collectors went nuts for these Photozaics. Natalie enjoys mixing up her photography from color to infrared. Driven by Mother Nature’s drama from the weather and locations play a big part in Natalie's shots color or IR. She shows her art at a few local galleries; high-end art shows and exhibits around the US. Natalie’s awards started back in 1998 when she won Editor’s choice award with the International library of photography. Her next major was 2003 when she took 1st place in the humor category from Lake Country Journal Magazine and received a cash prize and publication in the magazine. 2006 She placed 2nd in the photography category in the Brained arts in the park show. But her most notable is the Student photographer of the year in 2012 that she received from TCPPA (Twin cities Professional Photographers Association). Natalie has always been a fan of Ansel Adams and Bob Ross’ style, even though Bob was a painter, she loved watching his programs on the local PBS drove her to get out and be with nature. Her parents loved to travel via RV when Natalie and her brothers were younger. They believed the road trip was a part of the journey and they all got to see a lot of America that you just can’t get from a plane.