Dusk Painting

HEY Y'ALL! I'M SO GLAD YOU FOUND YOUR WAY HERE. (IF YOU KNEW ME PERSONALLY, YOU WOULD KNOW, RIGHT NOW, I'D BE GIVING YOU A SMILE & A HUG!) I'M GUESSING YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHO I AM & WHAT I DO SO, HERE GOES... MY NAME IS MICHELLE OWENBY. I AM A CHILD OF GOD. LOVER OF THE STARS & THE SEAS. A SOUTHERNER. A DAUGHTER. A STUDENT OF ALL THAT INTRIGUES ME. A FRIEND. A LOVER. A WIFE. A MOTHER. A TRAVELER. A SINGER OF SONGS. A LIVE MUSIC DEVOTEE. A SEEKER OF TRUTH & KNOWLEDGE. A DESIGNER & ARTIST. I LIVE IN COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA ON SULLIVANS ISLAND (SOME PEOPLE CALL IT "MAYBERRY BY THE SEA") WITH MY BELOVED HUSBAND, 2 GROWING & LOVABLE BOYS AND OUR LAZY YELLOW LAB, YETI. I WORK OUT OF OUR HOME WHERE I FIND (SOMETIMES) PEACEFUL AND (ALWAYS) JOYFUL INSPIRATION. SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL GROWING UP IN ASHEVILLE, NC, THINGS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FEAST FOR MY EYES; EVERYTHING LOOKED LIKE ART TO ME. COLORS, SHAPES, PATTERNS, NATURE, ARCHITECTURE. I CONSTANTLY DRIVE MY FAMILY CRAZY WITH, "OH MY GOSH, LOOK AT THIS, LOOK AT THAT, LOOK HOW PRETTY!!" MY MOTHER HAD A HUGE INFLUENCE ON MY PERCEPTION OF BEAUTY; SHE WAS ALWAYS REFINING THINGS, ORGANIZING, CREATING, BEAUTIFYING EVERYTHING FROM THE FLOWERS IN OUR YARD TO THE CLOTHES IN HER CLOSET. SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO USE MY IMAGINATION & MY HANDS TO CREATE BEAUTIFUL, ARTFUL THINGS. THIS "MAKER" HERITAGE COMES FROM OUR DEEP CHEROKEE ROOTS. MY DAD WAS AN AVID OUTDOORSMAN & SINCE I WAS HIS ONLY LITTLE BOY (WINK), I WAS OFTEN ALONG FOR HIS ADVENTURES. MY LOVE OF NATURE & THE EVER-PRESENT BEAUTY OF OUR WORLD IS DEEPLY-ROOTED IN HIM & OUR NORTH CAROLINA HERITAGE. AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, I'VE LOVED COLLECTING & USING MARKERS, COLORED PENCILS, PAINTS, STAMPS, DECORATIVE PAPER, JOURNALS, BOOKS, MAGAZINES; ALL THE THINGS THAT BRING ARTFUL INSPIRATION. AND A PROJECT, WOW, HOW I LOVE A PROJECT!! IT TOOK YEARS FOR ME TO ALLOW MYSELF THE INDULGENCE OF CHASING MY LOVE OF THOSE THINGS. I HAD NO IDEA HOW DEEPLY ALL OF THAT RESONATED INSIDE OF ME & HOW MUCH HAPPINESS & PEACEFULNESS IT WOULD BRING. A RECENT TRIP TO SEDONA REALLY BROUGHT THIS TO THE SURFACE AGAIN; IT AWAKENED THAT PART OF ME THAT HAD BEEN LULLED TO SLEEP AND I AM SO GRATEFUL I HAD THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THAT CREATIVE & SPIRITUAL REVELATION. IT IS A TIME I WILL NEVER FORGET & I STRIVE DAILY TO NOURISH THAT PART OF ME.