Natalie Zimmerman is an Austin, Texas-based artist and former molecular biologist specializing in scratchboard, a unique fine art highly suited to detailed expression. Her love of art is contiguous with her devotion to science. Natalie takes exception to the popular narrative that views science and art as stemming from different areas of the brain. She sees in each discipline the same basic characteristics: attention to detail, intellectual independence, freedom of thought and a deep understanding of the medium of expression. All of her work is done with archival quality material that can last more than one hundred years. Her influences range from artists who use an intense contrast between light and shadow, such as the Italian Renaissance painter Caravaggio, to Leonardo da Vinci whose science informed his art.  She also draws strong influence from modern animal behaviorists such as Frans de Waal. Natalie is fascinated by the relationships between humans and their environment and constantly explores those themes in her art. She enjoys participating in local pet shows and events that benefit animal wellbeing, taking special interest in rescued animals and endangered species. She has done work with Austin Pets Alive!, both rescuing animals and depicting them in her artwork.

Natalie is an active member of the International Society of Scratchboard Artists. Her background in the biological sciences, specifically her work in microbiology for which she holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and her graduate studies in immunology, have given her a love for detail that marries perfectly with the medium of scratchboard.  She sees science as a very powerful tool of exploration because it forces us to question our most basic assumptions and art as the ultimate expression of our conscience, pushing us to look beyond our everyday experiences.