Hey there, friend! I’m so glad you stopped by.

For those who don’t know me, I’m Courtney—wife, mama of three, and the artist/illustrator behind Not By Sight . I typically work with watercolors but savor the opportunities I have to work with other media such as gouache and acrylics. Here are five fun facts about me:

1. I was once a “celebrity” judge for a homeschool chili cook off and it was one of the crowning achievements of my life that I still like to talk about 15 years later. Also I enjoy using hyperbole and satire as humor

2. Speaking of homeschooling—it’s one of the few things I said I’d NEVER do, but now I’m actually really excited about educating our children at home.

3. Apparently I have a dog person personality (whatever that means), but I’m a cat person all day every day.

4. I am an ENFP, a 4w3 that acts just like a 7, House of Gryffindor, an otter, Blue/orange, and a pretty solid Leslie Knope Also I like personality inventories

5. I have a bachelors in Speech and Communication, a masters in Christian Education and a masters in Marriage and Family Counseling and I don’t use ANY of my degrees (yet I use all of them 😂). 

Why call it Not by Sight?

I started Not By Sight on January 1st of 2018 as a way for me to get involved with the online art community for feedback and accountability as I make a concerted effort to grow in my skills using watercolor and ink. The name Not By Sight is a nod to one of my favorite Bible verses 2 Corinthians 5:7 where Paul writes that we walk by faith and not by sight. While this verse is meaningful for Christians in general, this verse is especially meaningful for me as someone who lives with low vision (so like-literally-not by sight).

Let’s talk briefly about being an illustrator with low vision. Technically I’m “legally blind,” but I shy away from using that term as it can be confusing. I CAN see...I just can’t see well (and yes glasses help but not a whole lot 😉). For a while I really struggled with how open I should be about my visual impairment as an illustrator. I didn’t want to come across as exploiting my disability or using it as an excuse. But one day I was watching a Skill Share class by surface pattern designer Bonnie Christine, and she mentioned that one time a blogger friend encouraged her that the world needed her perspective and that there was room for her. And this really stuck with me. If the world DOES in fact need my perspective, and if my perspective is heavily influenced by my low vision (because you creatives KNOW that the artist’s eye is just as important as other technical skills), then having low vision is an important part of who I am as an artist. I don’t have to “work around” it; it’s something I want to work with. I want to grow in my skills WITH my low vision—not in spite of it.