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As a mom, Buffy was always creating new art projects and crafts with and for her son, one time creating her own artistic fireplace, floor to ceiling during the holidays because he asked how Santa would get in. Colleagues nicknamed her “Adventure Girl”, because she played as hard as she worked – hiking mountains, camping, kayaking, white water rafting, hot air ballooning, rock climbing, hang gliding, dog sledding, dirt bike riding, skydiving, flying around the country to run half marathons in the 2008 Rock n Roll race series, and becoming a licensed motorcycle rider. After being laid off, she struggled to keep up with the financial responsibilities as a single mom, trying to support a life for herself and her now teenage son on her own. Unemployment was not enough and eventually they had to put all their belongings in storage and move out. They temporarily stayed with her brother in Florida, but months before having to move there, Buffy had enrolled in and was accepted to college on financial aid. They returned to Massachusetts, but because she lost her home she had to move into a dorm room at the age of 38 while her son, now 18, stayed with friends and sometimes slept on her dorm room floor. She earned a Bachelor degree in Communication Arts concentrating in Visual Communications and minoring in information Systems and Art Studio. In her last semester of college, she met her husband Todd. Two years later the couple settled in Raleigh. A setback turned into a positive, as Buffy suffered an injury that required surgery and months of physical therapy. The many weekly medical appointments in that 13 month recovery period interrupted her ability to work a traditional job, so she used the time in between appointments to paint and “keep my sanity”, entering her paintings and drawings in local art shows. When she began developing her craft it was with the hope that she would one day paint murals. Recently, she partnered up with Natasha Walker of Edith Gray Designs to apply as a team for the Durham Neighborhood Mural Project. While they were not one of the selected artist/teams for that call, the partners motivated each other to do more, apply for shows and now hope to collaborate on future opportunities.

Last September, Buffy started attending the Tuesday night Drink & Draw event at Imurj. When it was time for Imurj to start the bathroom murals series, Buffy was an easy choice. She has recently completed a brightly colored mural in the women’s restroom that features a diverse array of women enjoying the vibe of Imurj. “Those figures originated from charcoals I worked on at Drink & Draw. I wanted to do something that relates to Imurj so people could connect to the space. The crowd scene has warm, bright colors to reflect the electric vibe at Imurj. I wanted people to feel an energy here that affects their mood.”

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