Natalie Masako Watkins is born and raised in Stockton, California. She started to paint and explore visual arts during her junior year in high school at age 16. She gives a lot of credit to her high school art teacher, Mr. Ponte for pushing her beyond her limits. Since then, she has taken many art classes at Delta College, and continues to explore and experiment with visual arts. She loves hosting and participating in art shows and getting other talented artist involved in the diverse community of Stockton. She plans to be an art teacher and hopes to graduate from Sacramento State in the near future. Artist Statement   I’ve always found people and human figures to be incredibly inspiring. I was also into photography before I discovered that I could paint and draw. Portraiture was my favorite form of photography. With that, most of my work is inspired by other photographers and models. I do not aim to be a realist painter because I love manipulating the photograph with color and brush strokes.   Instagram: natilism Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Natilism-538082179690679/ Email: nmwatkins94@gmail.com