November’s featured artists at Blue Whole Gallery, Melissa Doyel and Julie Hembree, are thankful for many things — to be living in Sequim, to be members of Blue Whole Gallery and to be surrounded by the natural beauty of the area.

The pair are the gallery’s featured artists this November in an exhibit titled, “Thankful for Nature’s Treasures.”

Meet the artists during the First Friday Art Walk Sequim from 5-8 p.m. on Nov. 1 at the gallery, 129 W. Washington St.

Doyel, a former EBay project manager, paints in both watercolor and acrylic. She said she doesn’t consider herself a landscape or portrait artist, but rather paints images of subjects that capture her attention and her emotion.

“When we are out hiking, sometimes I see something that captures me and I just have to paint it,” she said. “I’ll look at it, whether it’s the ocean or a flower, and say, how can I best portray that? I think I’ll paint that in acrylic.”

See more of Doyel’s work at melissadoyelart.com.

Hembree is often found wandering the beaches of the Olympic Peninsula with her dog, Rex. While her pooch is off searching up good smell, she has her head down in search of sea glass, shells or anything else to incorporate into her repurposed art.

Her creations are whimsical and reflective of her creative nature as well as the ocean and beach.

“After collecting shells and beach stuff for my whole life, I decided I had to do something with all of it,” Hembree said. “I sure wasn’t going to stop picking up shells and rocks.”

She recently returned from a trip to the Caribbean with an entire suitcase full of shells and rocks. A former teacher, she lives within a few blocks of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and beaches she loves.

See Hembree’s artistry at seadreamdesigns.com.

Hours at the Blue Whole Gallery are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sundays. See bluewholegallery.com or call 360-681-6033.

Photo courtesy of Julie Hembree “Whispers of the Sea” by Julie Hembree, a featured artist at Sequim’s Blue Whole Gallery this November.

Artwork courtesy of Melissa Doyel/ “Floral Footing” by Melissa Doyel, a featured artist at Sequim’s Blue Whole Gallery this November.

Photo courtesy of Julie Hembree / “Nature’s Palette” by Julie Hembree, a featured artist at Sequim’s Blue Whole Gallery this November.

Artwork courtesy of Melissa Doyel/ “Clear Water Stream” by Melissa Doyel, a featured artist at Sequim’s Blue Whole Gallery this November.

Photo courtesy of Julie Hembree / “A Sea Tree” by Julie Hembree, a featured artist at Sequim’s Blue Whole Gallery this November.