To learn more about myself and my work as an artist, please feel free to visit my website: www.sobeldesigns.com

ABOUT ME

Born and raised in Garfield Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, I have always had a great interest in nature and the arts. My love for art began with simple pencil sketches. As a child, frequent trips to the local zoo and parks near our home became routine; with pencil and sketchbook in hand, I would arrive back home with a plethora of doodles and drawings of the various wildlife I had encountered each day. To be honest, I actually disliked painting as a child. I saw it as sloppy and for a while stuck to my pen and pencils. Until one day, something compelled me to give it a try. Soon I had fallen in love with my paints and brushes, leaving behind my sketchpad for canvas; painting nature and wildlife. Soon, however, to be joined by another subject, inspired by my captivation with astronomy.

I have had many inspirations for my artwork, however, none have been more influential than my travels. My family has always enjoyed traveling; seeing new, awesome, places. During my childhood, we explored the sandy white shores of the Gulf of Mexico, the rocky coast of the Pacific, and everywhere in between. And from this, I believe, is where my love for the Ocean began.

Then, there is my fascination with what lies above the endless expanse of the sea. Although these two subjects may seem very different to be combined, they are actually quite similar. Both the oceans and space are some of the last natural frontiers which we have yet to fully explore. We may look out across the ocean each day, or up to the stars every evening, but it’s strange to think how little we know about these places

PHILOSOPHY

I am still young, but I already can see that life passes you by in an quickly. One day I am going to look back on my life and see everything i've done; see the story I've written for myself. I want to be able to look back at this life of mine and know I've made the most of it. I want to experience as much as I can in this world, not letting a day pass by unappreciated.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I travel quite a bit, and have always used Air B&B in the past. A few family and friends have recommended couch surfing in the past, and with an upcoming trip to AU, I thought it would be the perfect place to give it a try!

Interests

I love to travel, learn, and explore new places and cultures. I have always found myself interested in the sciences; biology, anthropology, astronomy, botany, etc. Aside from my artwork, I enjoy many outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, SCUBA diving, gardening, climbing, and so much more!

• wildlife
• arts
• books
• beauty
• traveling
• painting
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• kayaking
• scuba diving
• swimming
• astronomy
• parks

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy a range of fiction and non-fiction. Robert Frost, T.S. Elliot, J. R. R. Tolkien to name a few authors.

Sci-Fi movies are some of my favorites!

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

One experience which I will never forget was the opportunity to spend a week diving with tiger sharks in the Western Bahamas. In this area, also known as Tiger Beach, large 4-5 meter adult females congregate during their gestation. For myself thus far, few experiences have compared to state of awe felt when standing mere meters away from these massive undersea predators. Witnessing their true passive nature, was not only eye opening, but enlightening.

Teach, Learn, Share

To teach, learn, and share the knowledge around us is one of the greatest gifts life has to offer. I find myself constantly learning from others, through their educations, experiences, and stories.

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahamas, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Canada, Mexico, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States