International artist, Danalynn Coulon, recently launched an original collection featuring North Bend-inspired designs.
Coulon has lived and traveled around the globe, but found herself enchanted by the breathtaking scenery of the Pacific Northwest. Four years ago, she fulfilled one of her lifelong dreams and made the Valley her permanent home.
“I have been an artist as long as I can remember, but I really became passionate about telling stories through art when I started traveling,” Coulon said. “The more I travel, the more I find myself drawn back to the Pacific Northwest. I am just so inspired by this area.”
Coulon said she draws inspiration from the world around her, and her current project features her artwork on silk scarves.
Coulon said she uses scarves as her medium because it allows the artwork to be worn.
“I think a lot about the edges and corners of the scarf designs because those are usually front and center when the scarf is being worn. Beyond the challenges, this artwork also becomes part of a person’s life in a unique way, which I think is really rewarding,” she said.
Launched last October, Coulon’s business, Noctua, brings an art-central focus to the community of North Bend. Two of the pieces from her collection showcase North Bend: “Nightfall’s Fortune” and “Cascading Rivers.”
“‘Nightfall’s Fortune’ shows the summer night sky as seen from Exit 34, surrounded by local flora and fauna. The title of ‘Cascading Rivers’ is a play on words about the Snoqualmie River and the Cascade Mountain range, while the artwork itself is inspired by Jeremiah Borst, the first European settler in the Snoqualmie Valley,” she said.
While Coulon has no plans for her current collection to be displayed, she said she is working on the next collection of scarves with the hope of having it displayed next fall.
Through her art, she said she hopes to bring more local business to the Snoqualmie Valley, and help make it the true artists’ paradise she believes it to be.
“North Bend is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, and it has been a source of inspiration for much of my work,” she said. “I can’t wait to share my love of the area with the rest of the world.”
Coulon’s work can be viewed and purchased at www.noctuastyle.com.
