After earning four associate degrees, including two in art, Natalie Nicole is taking the next step toward a career as a professional artist, building on the skills, experiences, and mentorship she gained at Norco College.
This summer, Natalie Nicole worked alongside Associate Professor of Art Trang Lê on
a professional commission that gave her the chance to experience the many responsibilities
of working as an artist. The project included five large-scale paintings, ranging
from approximately 4 to 9 feet, commissioned for the new North Fork Mono Casino Resort
in Madera, California.
The paintings were completed on Aug. 14 and will join the resort’s permanent art collection. They will be installed in the High Limit area when the property opens, which is expected in October.
For Natalie Nicole, the project was not just about the paintings. It was a chance to apply what she learned in the classroom in a professional setting, while gaining a better understanding of what it takes to build a sustainable career in the arts.
“Making art is not just about the technique,” Natalie Nicole said. “It is also about the experience and what you make, especially when it is a story that you want to carry with you for the rest of your life.”
(Photo Caption: Associate Professor of Art Trang Lê and Natalie Nicole work together on fine-line brushwork for one of the five large-scale paintings during the professional internship. Photo by: Arnold Leos)
Throughout the project, Natalie Nicole gained a deeper understanding of the preparation, communication, and business skills a professional artist needs. She learned to communicate with clients, confirm details such as size, color, placement, and timelines, purchase materials, prepare workspaces, and work with large-scale canvases. She also gained experience creating invoices, documenting her work, maintaining an online portfolio, and marketing herself.
The experience also taught her the importance of patience and flexibility. Not every part of the process went perfectly, but Natalie Nicole said Lê encouraged her to view mistakes as part of the creative process and find ways to turn them into opportunities to improve the work.
“I learned that it is OK not to be perfect,” Natalie Nicole said. “Every time I was afraid to make a mistake, Professor Lê embraced it as part of the process and worked with the mistakes to make something even better than the original idea.”
Lê selected Natalie Nicole for the project because of her dedication to developing her career as an artist.
“I selected Natalie Nicole because of her passion, talent, and hard work toward her career goals,” Lê said. “She is also an easy person to work with. She is a high achiever, and I would like to help her as much as I can for her to become a successful artist.”
Her experience at Norco College also helped her develop a broader understanding of what it takes to establish herself as an artist. She encourages students pursuing creative careers to begin showcasing their work and seeking opportunities as early as possible.
“Do not be afraid to showcase your art,” Natalie Nicole said. “Take every opportunity that you can, and do not sell yourself short.”
For Natalie Nicole, that means entering exhibitions, applying for opportunities, building connections, developing a portfolio, and continuing to put her work in front of new audiences.
“Apply, apply to whatever chance it is, to everything and anything, and make those connections,” Natalie Nicole said. “Build your name now.”
She is already putting that advice into practice.
Her mixed-media sculpture Surreal Days: Self-Portrait, which was featured in Norco College’s Spring 2026 Student Invitational Art Exhibition, will be presented in the Artventure 2026 Juried Art Exhibition in Costa Mesa Sept. 12–26. The exhibition’s opening reception and awards ceremony will take place Sept. 12.
Her recent oil painting On the Swings: Summer Reflections and clay sculpture To Be
Patient are also on display together at The Hive Gallery and Studios in Downtown Los Angeles through Sept. 26.
Natalie Nicole plans to continue her education at the University of California, Irvine, where she will pursue Studio Art. As she continues developing her education and professional career, she is building on the artistic and professional skills she gained at Norco College.
There have been times when Natalie Nicole questioned whether pursuing art was the right path, but those moments ultimately reinforced how important art is in her life.
“If I did not have art, then I would have nothing else,” Natalie Nicole said. “This is the one thing that keeps me going every day.”
Her advice to other students is to take opportunities when they arise, trust themselves, and keep showing up.
(Photo Caption: On the Swings: Summer Reflections by Natalie Nicole Peralta)
“Be proud of your work,” Natalie Nicole said. “Be patient and trust that everything will happen in its right timing.”
(Photo Caption: Natalie Nicole stands with one of five large-scale paintings she assisted Associate Professor of Art Trang Lê with during a professional internship for the new North Fork Mono Casino Resort in Madera, California. Photo by: Arnold Leos)