Today we’d like to introduce you to Neverne Covington
Hi Neverne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Born in NY but moving to FL where early my formative years were steeped in the sunlight and the botanical diversity of the south.
I have always drawn and painted since early childhood. Like all children, I loved to draw and paint. I just never stopped. My passion then and now made every moment feel alive with a profound sense of presence and purpose. When not drawing or painting, I explore as much as possible the flora and fauna as well as the, the waters and the animal life of my surroundings.
As a young adult, I was a single teenage mother and later attended USF, St Petersburg College, and Eckerd College,during which time I studied at City & Guilds College in London England while living on and working on the William Morris House.
From age 20 I made a living by the primary skill I had working as a freelance illustrator and artist. My work included packaging design, particularly food packaging, medical illustration as well as several cookbooks, children’s books, one of which was a book on Helen Keller for Random House and adult non-fiction I illustrated over 50 book covers. You can find my work in grocery stores, department stores, book stores and libraries and maybe in your refrigerator.
I have also taught at Eckerd College and Ringling College of Art & Design and the Internatial Academy of Merchandising and Design.
The southern landscape remains a constant muse, with its luminous light and rich ecology.
My subject matter, rooted in direct observation and memory testifies to the richness of nature, merging abstraction with figuration to explore themes of time, movement and rhythm.
It is my fervent hope to continue to create work that is fresh, alive and invigorating: to challenge myself to venture into the unknown. to leave work that will inspire, challenge, and enrich and nourish those who view this work. I hope that the value of art continues to be revered and incorporated into everyday life and to enrich the human experience.
My art has been shown at The Tampa Museum of Art, The Florida Museum of Women Artists., the Brevard Museum of Art and the FL State Capital and through though various galleries. I am the recipient of 4 grants from the Division of Cultural Affairs state of FL. In addition, I have had residencies at the Moulin e Nef in Auvillar France, the Hambidge Center, in Rabun Gap GA and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Sweet Briar, VA.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has not only had pothole and road blocks, but like also in Florida, sinkholes. My hopes and dreams for college evaporated. I had started to apply to art and design colleges at 17 when I discovered myself pregnant. I was thrown out of high school but finished in night school. I took college classes off and on when I could, but being poor and living on food stamps and working as much as I could dashed away my college dreams. While exhibiting work I had a chance encounter with a professor at Eckerd Collge who asked where I went to college. I said I didn’t go to college. She replied,” well that is no excuse, come to my office at such and such a date with your portfolio.” It took two buses to get there and I met with her. She looked through my work saying very little, marched me into the deans office put my work in front of him. She said to him, I need for you to give her money, she needs to be here, then we left. Thought I just spent the day with a crazy woman, thought nothing about it until 6 months later I received a letter stating I had a full financial aid package and was also encouraged to apply for an abroad program which I did. My son and I found ourselves living and schooling in London attending city & Guilds College, which was a guild from the 16th century. I ended up and living in the William Morris House by yet another chance encounter while walking along the Thames looking for accommodations for my son and I.
Money and credibility has always been a knotty problem for many artist.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Throughout most of my life, I have been able to eke out a living doing one form or another of making art, whether it is teaching art, illustrating books and magazines, exhibiting my personal work around the country all from my home base in St. Petersburg, Florida. I am fortunate to live in a city with a thriving, supportive and vital arts community.
I am also a short story writer, a print maker, sculptor, painter and a maker of one of a kind artists books, some made of tine and are as large as 2 x 4 ft. opened.
In addition to receiving several grants form the Division of Cultural Affairs and other organizations, I have illustrated books for Random House, Penguin Putnam, The Harvard Commons Press, Zondervan and several others. My paintings have appreared on book covers by the above mentioned as well as Simon & Schuster, Random House, Avon books. I have made art for many of the fortune 500 companies.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Working alone for much of my life helped me to survive the loneliness of living through Covid.
Also, have lost several friends from Covid it was cogent reminder of the sanctity of everyday life and a reminder of how to live with comfortably with uncertainty.
Pricing:
- Into the Blue 60x 48 $$ 7000
- The Map is not the Territory,, sold
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nevernecovington.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neverne
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/nevernecovington
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neverne/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@zackygrrl
- Other: @neverne-artwork.bsky.social
