The year is 2016. In Hot Springs, South Dakota, with a population of 3,485, business owners close the doors to their establishments and turn in to brace themselves for a long winter night with an ungodly temperature of -20 degrees.

A Victorian house sits on a plot of land that was once the town's garden in the early 1900s. The house creaks as a gust of wind crashes into the old shingles on the roof, the smell of firewood burning in the air. However, the scary old house, once called “The Nightmare on Elm” by the local kids, is not what it seems. Inside, candles of sugar cookie scent burn. Claude Monet, John William Waterhouse, and Andrew Wyeth paintings hang on the wall. In the kitchen, you’ll find a mother cooking up the best green bean casserole that anyone in the Midwest has ever tasted. She hums “Brandy” by the Looking Glass as she sears her ground meat, its smell filling the house. Snow falls and the windows become frosted as a daughter is doodling on paper at the kitchen table. The song changes, and Casey Kasem's voice comes through the speakers to remind us that we are listening to old Top 100 hits from 1972. “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green plays next. 

This is just a small glimpse of my life, Natasha Woeppel.

Growing up in a rural place may have made me the artist I am today. At age 14, I began working at the local dairy queen, and then I understood that if I was going to work for the rest of my life, my work must be important and artistic. Not having many options at school as far as the art curriculum, I took it upon myself to learn everything I could about all forms of art. Growing up around the Black Hills of South Dakota, I first took in nature. Nature is the purest form of art, and being surrounded by it, I decided to start there. By taking photos of nature and painting and writing about landscapes as much as I could. Let’s be clear about this: writing and drawing were my first love of art. However, in my tween and teenage years, I fell for another. The art forms of music and cinema picked me up and swept me off my feet. Being one of the few artists in my hometown, and the youngest one at that, I was questioned by many and loved by few. I knew my time in the Midwest had come to an end when I visited colleges in the state and the states near me. None of these colleges offered an art program, but I had already known that. It was time to get to the big city and be with other artists. 

At age 17, I packed my bags and took off a month after high school graduation. I was eager to get a jump start on my career. I had to be in Los Angeles, and I had to give it my all. I did so after graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in TV and film directing. Being a small fish in a big pound fueled me, and it still does. Please view my portfolio and see my inspirations, from being a hard-working Midwest girl to a classy Los Angeles artist.