If you have ever stopped by Green Life, chances are you have been greeted by Natalie Jo Wright’s warm smile and bubbly laughter. As one of our wonderful Sales Associates, she can be found behind the counter helping guests, restocking jars, or adding her creative flair to our displays. But what you might not know is that Natalie is also a phenomenal full-time artist outside of Green Life.
Her work spans a wide range of mediums, from surreal animal portraits to large-scale commissioned pieces. She recently designed one of our bright, colorful Swedish dishcloths – a splash of joy that has quickly become a customer favorite. Today, we are taking you behind the scenes of Natalie’s creative process and her journey as both an artist and advocate for sustainability.
Natalie’s Path in Art, Textile Design, and Sustainability
Natalie has a rich educational background in the arts, including a BFA in Drawing from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and an MFA in Textile Design from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Her artistic voice has been shaped not only by her formal training but also by the people she has met along the way – “artists and mentors who dedicated their lives to creativity.” Their energy, she explains, fueled her own commitment to making art (along with, she jokes, “the weight of over $100k in student loans”).
Her path to textiles began with a simple question. In 2004, while she was living in Los Angeles where she exhibited large paintings with patterned backgrounds, someone asked if she had ever considered textile or pattern design. “That simple question sparked my curiosity,” Natalie recalls, and soon after she was accepted into RISD’s MFA program in Textile Design. “It was a huge honor, and it completely shifted my path.”
Not only is Natalie’s textile design background evident in her beautiful Swedish dishcloths, but also in her desire to find meaningful connections between beauty and sustainability: “I’m always looking for ways to cut down on single-use products, so it feels meaningful to see my designs on something both functional and eco-friendly — especially at our amazing refill store here in Madison.”
Behind the Floral Dishcloth
Natalie’s floral dishcloth design is a celebration of color, pattern, and joy. She draws inspiration from thrifted vintage treasures, mid-century design, and her “more is more” philosophy. To design her patterns, she often sketches from life or photos, then scans and creates them digitally, though sometimes she still pieces them together the old-fashioned way with paper before digitizing.
The process of designing this Swedish dishcloth was not much different from developing fabric patterns. As she explains: “Painting on canvas or paper is a very different mindset, but pattern design translates easily across surfaces.” What excites her most is the idea of adding bursts of color to everyday household items, especially when they are sustainable and long-lasting.
Looking ahead, Natalie plans to expand her work into tea towels, napkins, and placemats made from organic cotton and sustainably printed with water-based inks. She is also exploring ways to bring her wildlife paintings and prints (such as foxes, deer, and bears) to functional goods like bags, pillow covers, and other home decor. Inspired by the colorful dishes and fabrics passed down from her Aunt Cindy, Natalie hopes that her creations can also become treasured objects that infuse daily life with warmth and pleasure.
And yes, cats remain a recurring theme in her art– inspired by her two squishy-faced Persians at home.
We are so grateful to Natalie for sharing her vibrant art with us and bringing so much life to Green Life. If you would like to see more of her work, you can explore her website or follow her creative journey on Instagram. And stay tuned – more of her Swedish dishcloth designs will be arriving soon!
