Natalia Fabia: An Exclusive Interview with A.I.M.O.

How do you choose your subject matter and do you find the beauty in all that surrounds you? Most of the subjects for my paintings are my friends. Sometimes a stranger will spark intrigue for a painting. I’m drawn to creative, strong, stylish females with a DIY approach to life. I find the beauty within my friends and loved ones. I am also obsessed with light and colorful environments and landscapes draw me in.

Is your preferred medium Winsor & Newton? What does being their Brand Ambassador mean to you as an artist? I've used Winsor & Newton ever since I started painting and it's a dream come true to be a Brand Ambassador for Winsor & Newton. My medium of choice is their oil paints. It gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to prove myself with every painting. Having used their oil paints for many years, I love that I can also act as an advisor.

Are there any mediums you would like to explore using but have been intimidated by? Watercolor and gouache are mediums that I would like to explore but am intimidated by. I would really like to take the time to explore and understand them. Fashion is one of my loves and I would love to collaborate with a fashion designer. I’d love to create paintings for the patterns. It would be incredible to see my paintings translated into something that is wearable and three-dimensional. My work would come full circle, encompassing everything I love—fashion, the female figure and painting. Also, I’m interested in large scale drawings and mixed media works. Please tell our audience about The Kline Academy of Fine Art and your role as a Painting Instructor. What subjects do you teach? Kline Academy of Fine Art is an atelier devoted to teaching classical drawing and painting in Culver City, California. I teach a class called Sparking a Narrative Composition, in which I teach the way I usually start a painting. Once I have a concept, I will have a photo shoot with a model(s) and use the images as references for painting. I interpret what I see from the photo and add abstract elements and change the surrounding environment. I find that the ateliers today are missing that design sensibility that's in a lot of old master work. My goal as a teacher is for my students is to build their own voice into their work, with the knowledge of compositional devices, lighting, visual cues and psychology of color. It’s what painting is and should be. It's an all level class and offers basic fundamental painting demos. What artists inspire you Natalia? Toulouse Lautrec, Neo Rauch, Gil Elvgren, Mary Cassatt, Dean Cornwell, Joaquin Sorolla, John Singer Sargent, Stanislav Szukalski, Illya Repin, Ann Gale, Lisa Yuskavage, Julie Heffernan and Erté. If you could collaborate with any artist, deceased or alive, who would it be with and why? Do I have to pick just one? How about two—living and deceased? My pick for a deceased artist- I’d love to collaborate with Toulouse Lautrec to see how his brain works when it comes to choosing a color scheme for a painting and the design. I'd also love to collaborate with Lisa Yuskavage to understand her process of composing a painting and the theory behind it. And just how both of them socially work with another person would be an amazing experience to witness. What is next for you and what gallery are you represented by? I have an upcoming solo show in November at Corey Helford Gallery, whom I am currently represented by in Los Angeles. I've been with Corey Helford for ten years.

If our readers want to follow you on SM, where can they find you? Are there sites that sell your work? You can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @nataliafabia, in addition to my website nataliafabia.com. I sell some prints through my website. If interested in original works, please contact Corey Helford Gallery.