About Me

Hey there!  My name is Michelle Fulkerson and I am the very proud owner of The Happy Butterfly. My love for painting started at a very young age while spending summers in Oklahoma. My aunt is truly the most talented woman I know and she poured the love of art into me. My grandpa was an amazing carpenter who spent hours cutting designs at our request. There is not a time that I sit down to paint that I don’t hear his voice. “Honey, if you’re ever going to do this as a job, every second counts. Keep your water close so no time is wasted. “ If I close my eyes, I can actually see my Grandpa pulling the jar of water towards me as I sat at his kitchen table. I was around the age of 12 so you can imagine the eye rolls, but goodness his words of wisdom are such a treasure now.

During High School, you could find me in the Art room- my favorite class ever! I went to college on an Art Scholarship and was accepted into The Art Institute of Atlanta. Somewhere along the road, I decided I wanted to do more than just paint. I wanted to have a profession helping others, so I took a turn into Art Therapy which took a turn into Behavior Management which landed me a teaching degree. Twenty-five-plus years teaching in Baldwin County and here I am…kinda picking up where I left off many years ago.

So why “The Happy Butterfly”

I believe in transformation. I have been in that ugly black cocoon where God took my sins, my shame, my faults, and my mistakes and transformed them into something amazingly beautiful! “The Happy Butterfly” represents transformation, it represents change, and it represents life! “The Happy Butterfly” represents God's love for me and it is my testimony.