NATHELLE ELOISE NORFLEET I was born a fourth generation Californian in a lovely coastal town named Ventura. Raised in a family of professional musicians well known to the area, the desire to express myself creatively seemed to come naturally. I picked up the deepest love of music, but played the piano only for those closest to me. I met and married young, an extraordinary man named Bill who vowed to share with me his humor and true zest for life. Together we moved with our two children (Bill and Hanna) in the great migration to Oregon of the late ‘70’s. In search of country life and its “simplicity,” we longed to grow as a family in its lessons and principles. I discovered within me an inquisitive appreciation of our history – the west, our families, the mother lands from which our ancestors journeyed. Our ties to Spain, Ireland, England and Scandinavia boil up into intrigue when it comes to the melting pot of America. Inspired by these, my love for art expression dawned as life unfolded. With guidance from a dear friend, I guess you could say that I am pretty well self-taught in oil painting. It began as a hobby when our family was young and I was a “stay-at-home mom.” In the midst of a contented flurry of husband, children, cattle, rabbits for the freezer, vegetables from the gigantic garden, I longed for some way to share my own unique vision of the life I love. My friend convinced me to join her in attending an oil painting class. I had no idea that this was the missing link. With encouragement from my family and friends, I have spent these 25 years exploring the amazing world of capturing subjects on canvas. Thank you for your interest.