"Guemes is a slice of simple, untouched, nostalgic, Northwest beauty."

My creativity stemmed from the strong, artistic women in my family. Be it painting, cooking or crafting, I found my young self in a space where creativity knew no limits.

Today I hold a BA in Design and Communication from Western Washington University and am currently working towards a degree in Arts Education.

I have always taken my watercolor books everywhere I go and more recently, my old Minolta film camera too.
I am somewhat of a nomad partly because I am a United States Coast Guard Master and often find myself all over the world on a variety of vessels. I find that the best way for me to truly experience a place is to put it on paper and lose a few hours in the process.

I create small pieces starting with black pen on paper and once my picture is complete, I light up my illustration with watercolors. I enjoy bringing character and sense of place to my paintings.
I only paint en plein air, which is why my scale is small. Painting outdoors has taught me to put pen to paper quickly if I want to portray the moment well.

I grew up exploring Guemes island. Since then I’ve traveled to all sorts of unusual places and there’s simply no place like this dog island.

All Artwork ©Nathalie Cushing