Natalie (she/they) is a Mexican American multidisciplinary artist based in Long Beach, California. Raised in Southern California, their love for nature was nurtured by their mother, who taught middle school science. Natalie’s love for creativity and art started early, spending their childhood designing t-shirts for the local school district, making calendars of their art for family and friends, and even devoting weekends volunteering at the Natural History Museum in San Diego. Even though their classmates sometimes teased their work for being “too happy,” Natalie found self-acceptance through coming out in 2005, accepting that their happy art indeed makes them happy. After graduating with a B.A. in Studio Art from University of California, Irvine in 2010, they created their own greeting card business, Beeisforbear. Natalie's work is heavily influenced by science, nature and 90s animation, and they especially enjoy combining humor with education. Currently, Natalie works as a freelance illustrator and barista. They share an home with their wife and two small Burmese cats, Ripley and Tchotchke.