For over three decades, artist Neverne Covington has called Old Northeast home. In her words, it's a place where “you can walk to over five museums, the Mirror Lake Library, seventy restaurants, the bay and pier, and the Vinoy.” Surrounded by history and hundred-year-old oaks, she’s built a creative life in a community she deeply values, one where neighbors still feel like neighbors.

Covington’s journey as an artist began almost as soon as she could hold a pencil. “I was born to draw,” she says. “I drew in my high chair and have never stopped.” For her, drawing is more than a skill; it's a way of seeing. It brings her closer to the natural world and to mysteries that defy easy explanation. It engages both her conscious mind and something more intuitive, what she calls “the pre-conscious world.”

Her work is expansive, both in medium and in concept. “Whatever makes marks,” she says, listing oil paints, oil sticks, charcoal wax, and printmaking among her tools of choice. She also works in three dimensions, creating one-of-a-kind artist books, some as large as two by four feet and crafted from tin.

Nature, transformation, and the human condition are among the recurring themes in her work, along with botany and the shifting perspectives through which people experience the world. These ideas, paired with a deeply personal artistic language, have led to projects both intimate and monumental.

One of the most memorable was a 20-foot mural commissioned by Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. The piece, which depicted food flying joyfully through the air near the cafeteria, was ultimately painted over without notice. Though disappointed, Covington reflects on the mural as a proud and meaningful achievement.

Her influences span centuries. From the masters, Turner, Vermeer, and Caravaggio, to contemporary giants like Anselm Kiefer, Gerhard Richter, and Louise Bourgeois, Covington draws inspiration from artists who probe the depths of light, shadow, memory, and material.

Like many working artists, Covington has faced the challenge of balancing creativity with livelihood. Over the years, she supported her family through commercial work, including food packaging, medical illustration, and publishing. She illustrated eight books, including Helen Keller: Courage in the Dark for Random House, and created around forty book covers. Today, she prioritizes her own work and artistic vision.

Beyond her personal studio practice, Covington is a passionate educator and community contributor. She has taught at Eckerd College, Ringling College, and currently shares her expertise at the Morean Arts Center. Her work has been exhibited at the Tampa Museum of Art, the Foosaner Museum in Melbourne, the Lowe Museum in Miami, and the Florida Museum of Women Artists in DeLand.

When asked what she hopes her art offers others, her answer is clear. “I hope they notice the world around them more and pay attention to it. It goes by so swiftly. I want to reach people through their intellect, their heart, and their gut, all at once.”

Covington’s work was recently exhibited at Tempus Projects in Ybor City, and she has a solo exhibition coming to the Morean Arts Center in July. Studio visits are available by appointment.