Cherokee Nation citizen Nathalie Standingcloud works on her Uktena piece that she said she would like to turn into a tattoo design. Standingcloud became involved in creating her art after attending art classes at Northeastern State University. (photo by Stacie Guthrie - Cherokee Phoenix)

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Creativity flows from Cherokee Nation citizen Nathalie Standingcloud's mind and fingertips as she creates artworks, whether they are temporary such as chalk or permanent such as tattoos. Through her creations she illustrates her calling in art.

Standingcloud said she started drawing as soon as she could hold a pencil.

"Being an artist as a young child, I have a lot of artists in my family so it's kind of in my blood," she said. "I always grew up drawing dragons and stuff, and people would tell me how good my drawings were and that I should get involved with it and really go with it. I just thought it was something good I could do. I never thought that I could create a career until I got older and realized that I don't want to sit in an office. I'd rather just be outside drawing."

Growing up she never took art classes, she said, and didn't until attending Northeastern State University.

Cherokee Nation citizen Nathalie Standingcloud created this Uktena chalk art piece in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She said the piece is created after a traditional Cherokee piece. (photo by Stacie Guthrie - Cherokee Phoenix)

"I really haven't become super involved in my art 24/7 everyday until maybe about two years ago when I started college because I took art classes there and really found out what my potential was," she said.

She said at NSU she won the 43rd annual Symposium on the American Indian poster contest in 2015.

"They featured my pregnant woman on the poster, and I got to see it not only on the poster but in the newspaper, around town and on a billboard. So that was the first time I actually got to see my illustrations up and out there for the world to see," she said. "To see that up there on the billboard, my artwork, it's way different from seeing it in my notebook that's for sure. It just made me feel, I don't know, useful. Made me feel like I was making the world pay attention a little bit more, look at things and be inspired."

Since early summer she's been involved with chalk art after winning a chalk art competition in Wagoner.

"A family wanted me to go out and draw a portrait of their son who recently passed and we won first place. The family was happy. I was happy," she said. "I never worked with chalk before then so there's something about that competition that really inspired me to work with that medium a lot more."

She said some of her latest chalk art consist of traditional Cherokee pieces.

Cherokee Nation citizen Nathalie Standingcloud created this double-headed woodpecker chalk art piece under a bridge near Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She said it took her approximately two hours and contains various types of chalk. (photo by Stacie Guthrie - Cherokee Phoenix)

"My first piece is a double-headed woodpecker Cherokee original, traditional design that I did," she said. "The other one, the big circle with the two dragons, Uktena, that's another original Cherokee design."

She's also drawn Pokémon around Tahlequah, which she created after the hype the mobile game Pokémon Go made.

"Pokémon's a big thing now, so I like to draw Pokémon," she said. "For some of the kids who don't have a phone it's kind of not fun to go outside and not see Pokémon, so when little kids walk by and they see Pikachu on the wall or Squirtle under the bridge it's a little magical."

Standingcloud said because her chalk artwork isn't permanent it's important to see it before it's gone.

"My chalk work does take quite a bit of time to finish, but I think the fact that my chalk work is washable kind of makes it a little more special because it isn't permanent. You only have a couple of days before the rain's going to wash it away," she said.

Standingcloud said along with painting, sketching and tattooing she likes trying new mediums.

"Being an artist, I just love to explore new mediums and hopefully chalk won't be my last medium to explore," she said. "I plan on becoming a full-time professional tattoo artist, so ink is another medium that I'm interested in. Just anything where I can get my creative juices flowing."

Standingcloud said she enjoys being an artist and hopes to continue creating and getting commission work.

"I really enjoy this, and I hope that I get more commissions so my purpose of being an artist is fulfilled, and I just keep growing and learning and keeping people happy," she said.

To view her art or to commission a piece, visit her Facebook page, Instagram at littlemisscherokee or email nathaliestandingcloud@gmail.com.