LaurenNatvigGray

Hey guys,
I just wanted to put out a little life update. I want to acknowledge my inactivity on here and Facebook, and apologize for any lag in or lack of communication -especially in the last year and change.

Speaking of change, the primary reason I have been so inactive, is that in May of 2016 my parents decided to get divorced after 30 years together.
My Dad got remarried shortly after, and my Mom is dating someone.
It's been extremely difficult to deal with, but I know I'm not alone.

Today I will be going on my first train ride (:'D) to go see my family in AR for the second time since my husband and I moved to TX from NC in December 2015.
The first visit was back in that same May of 2016, pretty immediately after I got the news from my Dad when I called to tell him that I had finally gotten my tires on my car taken care of, and everything was good-to-go for me to drive up there to surprise Mom for Mothers Day -which we had been working out the details of for weeks.
Things took an extremely unexpected turn in an extremely short period of time, and that first visit felt very numb and surreal.
Communication has been sparse, but intense since, though certainly not for a lack of trying.
Some things just take time and patience - and a hell of a lot of work. lol
Wish me luck this time.
I'm excited no less :]

I've been keeping up with everything as best as I possibly can every day, and I've been doing my absolute best to respond to messages in as timely of a manner as I can, while still giving them the thought and attention they deserve (this is more of an issue on Facebook than here, but it applies here too).
 I am and have been working through inboxes as best as I conceivably can while still keeping the rest of my life in balance, so if you've sent me something in that time and I haven't replied, just know I'm doing my best to work my way to it, and I appreciate your patience and support ^^
Hopefully this visit will provide some opportunities for healing and reconnection; even just getting this off my chest more publicly now is huge.

Things have been moving along great with art; lots of different projects have been in the works and hopefully I'll have some things to show sometime soon! ^^ 

With love,
Lauren Natvig-Gray
Silent Shout

Hey Guys!!
February 1st marks the first official day of my own totally made-up, self-proclaimed watcher appreciation month!  Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the month of February, I will be featuring a special watcher, with thumbnails of some of my favorite work from them, and probably a semi lengthy, potentially mushy paragraph about why they are so great! lol I figured with this month being the month of Valentines Day - and me being something of a non Valentines Day celebrator (You should express love to people all year, not just one day, all that jazz, lol) part of me wants to get vaguely vaaaaaaaaguely festive.
<3
X3
It hit me the other day - I haven't given Valentines cards since Elementary school @.@ I've received little things from people here and there, mostly my parents, but I haven't done anything myself in...like...
wow...
I've never even done a Kiriban, or anything on here to let you guys know how awesome you are, 

and it's high time dammit. 
buuuuuuuut
This here final group feature will conclude Watcher Appreciation month for me this year!

It has been an absolute joy taking the time to stop and recall all of you guys on here who have touched my life and soothed my soul in ways that words cannot do justice. I would like to say too that if I did not feature you, this in no way indicates a lack of appreciation!!
I am infinitely grateful to every soul here who has ever taken the time to even glance at my work...
to every person who has ever grazed through my gallery, favorited my images, commented on a drawing, added my pictures to a collection or a group, featured me, sent llamas, quietly stalked in the bushes, (lol X3) or acknowledged me at all in any way that I have not listed here(!! X3)
-there is strength in numbers, and though I certainly know numbers aren't everything, they certainly are something! Each number represents a real person out there somewhere, looking at my drawings - looking at a piece of me.
Thank you to all who look.
Thank you to all who see.
^^

Warning, ultimately justifiable excuses ahead!
-that being said though, I will say, it was a matter of great, Tetris-like discipline to try and squeeze all of these in and still keep up with my other responsibilities - did good for the most part(!) but I did have a few days where I was visiting some good friends I haven't seen in close to 8 years, added an extra person I wanted to feature, and last Friday, I just flat-out forgot because I was so busy! @.@; so in an attempt to wrap things up here on the last day of February, I've decided to combine those of you I've saved for last into a single feature!
Think Oh gee thanks, squeezing me in eh? Trying to hurry up so you can go have fun drawing some Princess Mononoke eh?? *spoiler, lol* streamlined!...think streamlined for efficiency! Yeah, I can see you're one for keeping it brief judging by  this nice. brief. fucking book. above here. XDD
Let's get on with this thing!



First is probably the most talented artist I've ever met in person - the absolutely incredible, amazingly kind, and beautifully insightful
Nobody 
Justin Jenkins!!




I actually met Justin when I was in 9th grade - he was my English teachers boyfriend, and he used to leave these badass drawings all over the chalkboards!! I'd come in the classroom in absolute awe of what he had done, and one day he came up there to the school and I got to meet him! We stayed in contact here on D.A over the course of many years, and recently in the last year or so, he has leaped headfirst back into art (with an intense fire!) after a couple year hiatus. He mostly posts what he's been working on over on Facebook, but this is a small sample of some of his older work ranging from 2006 to 2009. Justin has been doing a lot of intense studies and last I heard, had been drawing in his sketchbook everyday for something like over 130 days straight! Diligence unheard of!! lol

Justin, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to talk with me and being able to share the joys and difficulties of trying to make this crazy art stuff XD I thoroughly enjoy and derive huge benefit from being able to share experiences and resources with each other! I can't believe your skill and fucking discipline!! Long story short - I highly respect and look up to you man - you keep on keeping on!!!



Next up is the incredibly skilled, super sweet, hard working, and ultra supportive
Nobody
Missi Queen!!




Missi is quite the workhorse!!She always has a steady stream of awesome new work to look at, and stays very active in the galleries where she lives! She has served as a great example for me of what it looks like to be a traditional artist who consistently stays busy with commissions. Missi has been a watcher of mine for a long time, and is time after time one of my most supportive in the realm of faves! It seems like she is always one of the first to favorite my work, and it has been that way since day one - so a huge thank you to you Missi!!!

If you like traditional watercolor paintings, super realistic charcoal portraits, or anything with that sort of dark, moody, passionate aesthetic to it, go check out her work!!



And last - but certainly not least!
my incredibly talented, wonderfully imaginative, hilarious, thoughtful, and beautiful little sister-
Nobody  
Anna!!




Anna joined Deviantart here this past year, and boy has it been a treat to be able to see her drawings!! 
She primarily works digitally, but also does traditional work - and poetry as well! She likes to make up a lot of her own characters, draws fanart, and makes lots of gifts for other people! I absolutely love her facial expressions and the silly/humorous tone that a lot of her drawings have, as well as that element of story/interactivity that you get when you get more than one character together.
 
Anna, thank you for being such an awesome sister and continuously inspiring me to do and be my best everyday. ^^
I love yooooooou!!



Welp! That about wraps it up for my watcher appreciation month! I had an absolute blast pulling these things together and frankly, it was just flat out good for the soul to be able to take time to be grateful, and I think we all need to do it more often - every day at that!
There are still loads of people that I feel I owe huge thank you's, but all in due time. ^^
I may do another one next year, who knows!

With love,
Silent Shout