I grew up in the small farming community of Geyserville in Sonoma County CA. I feel extremely fortunate to have grown up in Northern CA for its natural beauty has consistently been an inspiration. I have been drawing and exploring the possibilities of color for as long as I can remember. I can recall being very young, sitting on the couch with my mom and practicing 'coloring inside the lines'. I suppose that's where my attention to detail and love of bold colors began. I continued with a few art classes through elementary and high school and then after graduation I moved to Anchorage Alaska to go to college. I attended UAA for two years, took a couple of beginning drawing and painting classes but I just wasn't focused. I wanted to do too many things in too many places all at once. I have come to learn over the years that this characteristic is here to stay!! So I decided to take a break from school but continued living in Alaska for another five years. Talk about awe inspiring beauty!

A truly wonderful place to live and explore, I am so grateful to have had that experience. In the fall of 2001 I moved back to CA in order to reignite my scholastic education. I chose Humboldt State University because of all of the amazing natural beauty in the surrounding area. We have the amazing Pacific coastline with its miles of practicaly private beaches, secluded coves, unique rocky outcrops and pinnacles; a multitude of rivers, lakes, lagoons and other stunning bodies of water; directly to the east are the amazing Trinity and Shasta ranges; and the abundance of flora and fauna in the area are truly amazing. Above all, though, the majestic groves of old-growth redwoods take my breath away! The natural beauty here is stunning!

Thankfully my close friends and family have continued to encourage me throughout my life. If it weren't for them I don't think any of this would be possible. Being extremely self critical, as we artists often are, I have never pursued trying to make a career through art until now. Recently I said to myself, "Why not give it a go?" If I can make a living doing something that I absolutely love then my life will be a success! Happiness...isn't that what we all strive for? Well, I'm on a quest! So in the last few months I have gathered together an assortment of pieces, some old and some new and I have had them made into stunning, affordable greeting cards. By supporting a local business for all of my printing needs I am happy in knowing that I'm contributing to the local community in which I live. Being here on the Pacific Northwest coast is incredibly inspiring, so as new pieces are created the website will be updated with new inventory.

So you may be wondering about this websites name? Graceful Vybes was derived from two places. About a year and a half ago I had to say goodbye to the love of my life and best friend I could have ever known. Her name was Grace and she was a spunky, mischievous Husky mix with a heart of gold.....except when it came to cats! That's a story for another time. She 'graced' me with her presence for sixteen and a half years and for that time I will be forever grateful. Everyone says they have the best dog in the whole world and everyone is right. The relationships we build with them and that they build with us are indescribable. There is nothing stronger, more patient, more true than the love we have for our animals. We can leave the room for ten minutes or ten days and it doesn't matter, they're always so excited to see you!! I wanted to include Grace in this adventure because she always wanted to go everywhere and do everything with me. So the first part, 'Graceful' is in memory of my old gal. Here we go, embarking into this uncharted territory....together!

The other part of the name, Vybes, comes from my last name, Vyborny. I just recently learned that in Czech, Vyborny translates into Excellent! Bonus kudos for my family!! I believe in sending out positive vybes wherever I go. Life is short and sweet, we need to remeber to laugh and to love each other. So there you have it in a nut shell. I want to thank you again for checking out Graceful Vybes Designs!