Welcome to my art gallery.
I am an African-American and Native American who has owned and operated businesses on the island of Martha's Vineyard for decades. I owned Summer Breeze Gift Store, Rising Sun Horse Ranch, Diana’s at the Winifred Restaurant, and Personal Best-One on One Training, as well as worked as clinical social worker. In 2024, I decided to pursue my passion for the arts and opened Ocean Eversley Art Gallery where I showcase my photography, paintings, and print on demand functional art.
Many of my photographs are taken on Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod. In my photography, I attempt to highlight the beauty in the ordinary, the extraordinary, and the whimsical moments in life. I hope my photography touches you in a way that provides comfort, joy, insight, and inspiration.
I see the ocean as one of the most spiritual, rejuvenating, and healing forces on earth. To me, the sea is life-giving, fertile, powerful, sensual, changing, and mysterious. In my art, I use brushstrokes that mimic the movement of water, creating currents, splashes, and fluidity, as well as creating harmony between the characters I paint and water. Many of my paintings are influenced by the way people feel when they are by or in the ocean.
Painting characters who exude strength, softness, vulnerability, hope, introspection, wisdom, self-love, and passion is what draws me into my pieces, and I hope to draw in my audience in the same way — enticing them to explore the character’s complexities and their own complexities along the way. I use the palette knife, pencil, paint brush, oil paint, acrylic paint, and mixed media to create portraits that want to tell us something, so I invite you into a dreamlike world where the characters intertwine with their surroundings and share poetic insight.
As I create in my sunlit cottage studio, where I live and work, I look forward to connecting directly with collectors and new friends across the globe. If you like to add your favorite slogan, or unique text to a particular painting, discuss a commission, ask about prints, place an order, or just say hello, please email me at oceaneversley@aol.com
Ocean Eversley: A Legacy of Speed, Leadership, and Longevity
Ocean Eversley's athletic career is defined by a series of historic "firsts" and a relentless drive that spans five decades. From her early days as a high school standout to her current status as a national champion, Eversley has remained a dominant force on the track.
A Collegiate Pioneer
Ocean etched her name into sports history as the first-ever Women's Track and Field Captain at Boston University. Leading the program during the transformative early years of Title IX, she helped establish the foundation for a varsity team that has since produced world-class athletes. During her time at BU, she was coached by the legendary David Hemery, the 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist and world record holder. Training under Hemery's elite technical guidance helped shape the discipline and competitive spirit that would define her career for years to come.
Early Dominance
Before her collegiate success, Ocean was already a recognized name in the New York track scene. In 1975, she was crowned the Rockland County Champion in the 400 meters, marking the beginning of her decades-long mastery of the "quarter-mile".
National Masters Champion
In 2014, Ocean returned to her collegiate roots in Boston to compete at the USATF Masters Indoor National Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. In a stunning display of speed and endurance, she secured a double-gold performance, becoming the National Champion in both the 400m and 800m for the W55 division.
The Power of Purpose: Running for Recovery
Ocean’s 2014 national titles were fueled by a mission far larger than personal glory. Leading up to the championships, she was training for her first half-marathon as a fundraiser for The Herren Project, founded by former NBA player Chris Herren. Having worked in a treatment facility, Ocean had seen the life-changing impact of providing SUD treatment for those without the financial means to afford it.The high-volume mileage required for the half-marathon unexpectedly became her greatest competitive advantage. This base of strength allowed her to outlast the competition in the 400m and 800m, proving that her advocacy work and her athletic success were inextricably linked. For Ocean, the strength to win came from the very people she was running to support.
Regional Excellence
Beyond national titles, Ocean is a legendary figure in New England athletics. Now based on Martha's Vineyard, she has consistently dominated regional meets, once famously capturing three gold medals (1500m, 800m, and 200m) in a single day at the New England Masters Championships.
The Athlete-Artist: Finding the Flow
Today, Ocean bridges her athletic past with her creative present through a philosophy she calls Kinesthetic Rhythm. Her artivism reflects the same power, grace, and technical precision she mastered on the track under David Hemery.However, where the track is governed by the unrelenting tick of a stopwatch, the studio offers a different kind of liberation. Ocean cherishes the unique ability to stop and pause while she is painting, allowing herself the grace to slow down and fully enjoy the explorative creation of each piece. Whether she is capturing the strength of the feminine spirit or the sacred essence of the coastal landscape, her work celebrates a life lived in motion—and the beauty of the quiet moments in between. Her art is the "final kick" of a pioneer who knows exactly when to sprint and when to savor the journey.
In my portrait work, I am drawn to the subject of women who resonate with the ocean's essence, capturing their love for the sea and coastal lifestyle.
This focus guides my selection of subject matter, inspiring each piece through the intangible magic of the ocean. My artistry combines the creation of the "Ode to the Ocean" wearable art collection with the celebration of the beautiful landscapes and culture of Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod. This integration renders my work unique and deeply personal, offering art that is both lived and worn, eternally intertwined with the essence of the sea.