I Started Painting Again Because Of My Illness And It Turned Into A Full-Time Job

Hi everyone! My name is Della Daughtry and I am a self-taught artist from Webster, Florida. As a child I adored the Big Eye art of Margaret Keane, and I loved to doodle big eye characters.

Many of my school papers over the years had some little drawings on it. I have worked with many types of mediums over the years and for a while, I was even a ceramic artist. When I was 23 I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Sunlight can cause my illness to flare, so I stay indoors a lot during the summer. It can be very depressing, being sick, and having to stay inside most of the time. For many years I struggled with my illness until finally, with the urging of my husband John, I started painting again. I took my love for the whimsical "Big Eyed" style of art, and started painting!

Within the first year, John and I opened Dream Damsel Art. Now six years since we started this business I have painted over 120 paintings and have opened our own online store! Painting has helped me to cope with my illness and has given me new outlook on life! I love painting everything from Fairies, Mermaids, and fairy tale characters, to spooky themed artwork. I can be found most days in my studio with my "Puppy Assistants" Dusty and Piper.

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