You don’t need a paint brush and pastels to call yourself an artist.

Velina Wheatley-King is making a name for herself by creating intricate works of art with a Sharpie pen.

“I’ve always had an interest in art, but a few months ago it was rekindled,” she explained.

“I took my son’s art easel outside so we could paint. He ended up playing with his toys and I picked up the brush and drew a lion freehand.

“Once we went inside I felt like I needed more detail on the piece so I got out a pen and doodled patterns in the background. I found it to be therapeutic.”

She shared the results with people on social media — they loved it.

When the pen faded a few weeks later, Mrs Wheatley-King bought some Sharpie pens and started working on more pieces.

“My husband had been encouraging me to find a hobby to de-stress so I tried knitting, but it wasn’t my passion and I grew bored of it,” she said.

“Once I picked up the Sharpie a light bulb went off. Now I absolutely love watching my creations grow.”

For a while she was referring to her work as ‘doodles’, but others told her not to underestimate her craft.

Then a Facebook friend likened her work to Zentangle, an art form where abstract drawings are created using repetitive patterns.

“I started researching for inspiration.

“My new-found obsession is following other Zentangle and Sharpie artists on Instagram. I love sharing and appreciating art. I didn’t even realise how popular it was.”

Although she was attached to her work she didn’t expect for others to appreciate her style. However the response has been overwhelming.

So far she’s sold 16 pieces of her work, and also has requests to create holiday cards and tattoo designs.

She said she’s hoping to use her artwork to bring about good in the community.

Mrs Wheatley-King recently finished two pieces and donated the proceeds to two friends with mounting medical expenses.

“It may not be much but I strongly feel that even small gestures of kindness go a long way,” she said.

“I would love for my art to impact people’s lives in a positive way.”

Next year she hopes to hold an exhibit of her work, but in the future anything is possible.

She said: “My style is very textile so it would be great to see as a pashmina, wrapping paper or a bathing suit. The possibilities feel endless.”

She said art has really challenged her to look at the world in new and different ways.

She also finds inspiration everywhere — from landscapes and patterns, to fashion.

“Everything is an inspiration now.

“Plus, Bermuda is so beautiful it makes it easy to create art.

“My biggest challenge is that I rarely use a pencil so if I make a mistake eight hours into a piece I have to start all over again,” she explained.

“Each piece takes five to eight hours so it takes a serious level of patience and time commitment.”

Mrs Wheatley-King will sell her work at Somersfield Academy’s Peddler’s Porch on November 29 from 10am until 2pm.

For a look at her pieces visit www.talenthouse.com/velina-wheatleyking or e-mail: velina.wheatley@gmail.com.