Many people travel to the High Country seeking mountain adventures. Likewise, the people who call Boone and the surrounding areas home leave our mountains in search of adventures beyond Western North Carolina. One of those adventurous neighbors is Nysie Hurst, a longtime resident of Boone and local artist. This March, Nysie takes to the air to realize a 30-year-old dream of landing in Spain to join others from around the world taking part in a 3- month-long pilgrimage across Spain and France on the famous Camino de Santiago.
Thousands of people take on the Camino de Santiago every year. Some seek a spiritual journey, others find historical significance in the trip. For many the draw to the Camino is the journey itself, albeit for numerous personal inspirations. Similar to those who take on a thru- hike of the Appalachian Trail, Nysie Hurst is joining this year’s Camino pilgrims in search of personal inspiration and strength as she continues to enrich her art and her life while battling Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Nysie Hurst is an active watercolor and acrylic painter with numerous exhibitions and shows across the High Country, and work on permanent display at the Banner Elk Artist Gallery. She paints the ridgelines, sunrises, and rivers from our Blue Ridge Mountains with rich colors in various mediums. Her work is inspired by the natural world and her personal journey from science to art, left to right brain, through MS. She embarks on the Camino de Santiago this month seeking more balance in her life, to reduce distractions, and to explore meaning in her own evolving story.
Artist was not a title Nysie Hurst would have accepted early on in her life. However, the title found her 12 years ago. It was just three weeks into her initial MS diagnosis when this former science teacher and avid outdoorswoman found herself driven to paint for the first time in her life. Through the physical limitations and barriers MS creates for her, Nysie has found a way to bring out beautiful landscapes and other paintings of the natural world through pen and ink, mixed media, acrylic, and watercolor painting. “MS created the artist in me.” says Hurst. “And I hope that my work will encourage others to take a chance on themselves, regardless of their hardships. MS is not defining me. I am defining it, and it is full of color.”
Join Nysie’s incredible, colorful journey along the Camino by following
her blog and Instagram for inspiration and updates. You can also get to know her better by exploring her work online at www.nysiehurstart.com, or by visiting the Banner Elk Artists Gallery downtown Banner Elk, NC.
You must be logged in to post a comment.