Her Story
About Natalie
Natalie Levin is a Tucson, Arizona-based artist, sculptor, and designer with more than five decades of experience spanning fine and commercial art. A creative from early childhood, she launched her professional career as a teenager and went on to run a graphic design storefront in San Diego for twelve years, all while continuing to exhibit her own original artwork. She went on to study Fine and Studio Arts at the University of California, Davis, before earning a Bachelor's degree with high honors in the same discipline from UC Santa Barbara. Today, as co-owner of Nataji, LLC, she works across an unusually broad range of media, including bronze casting and figurative sculpture, painting, watercolor, pencil portraiture, mosaics, jewelry, and clothing design, taking commissions and collaborating with clients around the world.
Levin's body of work is deeply rooted in spirituality, emotional depth, and the exploration of inner life, with recurring themes of healing, nature, peace, and self-love. Her portraiture and sculpture have been featured at wellness-oriented venues such as Canyon Ranch Resort in Tucson, reflecting her intent to create art that fosters compassion and connection across cultures and belief systems. Beyond her visual art, she is an accomplished author, having written and illustrated three heart-healthy cookbooks in the late 1980s and early 1990s, along with her more recent project, Souls of Light: 50 Spiritual Luminaries of the 20th Century — a series of fifty hand-drawn pencil portraits honoring influential spiritual teachers from around the world.
A member of the American Sculpture Society, Levin has built her career on resilience, treating rejection not as a deterrent but as part of the creative process. She encourages emerging artists, especially young women, to resist self-doubt, embrace their own voice, and never let outside opinions limit their potential. In recognition of her decades-long contribution to the arts and her continued impact on the Tucson creative community, she has been selected as an Influential Woman representing Tucson, Arizona for 2026.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Natalie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a lifelong devotion to self-expression and to the discipline of showing up for my craft year after year. Rejection has been a constant companion throughout my career, but I've never allowed it to stop me from creating. I also credit the passionate, committed people and teachers who influenced me along the way and helped shape the artist I've become.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is simple but powerful: keep going. My mother had a memorable way of putting it — she'd tell me to "pull up my big girl panties" and push forward, no matter the setbacks. That mindset has stayed with me. Regardless of the rejections, the challenges, or the closed doors, the advice has always been the same: persevere.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this field not to let anyone else define their limits. Commit fully to self-expression and to your own personal growth, and don't let negative self-talk creep in and diminish what you're capable of. Keep making, keep doing, and own your brilliance unapologetically. Follow your own path, and never stop creating.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge I face is the sheer frequency of rejection, particularly in juried shows, compounded by the economics of working in sculpture — foundry costs are high, and gallery commissions often eat into an artist's profit significantly. That said, I see real opportunity in building direct relationships with clients, placing work in wellness and resort markets, and creating pieces that speak to higher-purpose, spiritually resonant themes that genuinely connect with audiences.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Peace, compassion, tolerance, and self-love are at the center of everything I do, both in my art and in my life. I'm deeply committed to service to humanity and to my own ongoing spiritual growth. My work is an extension of these values — it's rooted in healing, nature, and spirituality, and I hope it fosters a sense of unity and connection across different traditions and beliefs.
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