By Rachel Migliorino
‘The Black Sheep’ by Rachel Migliorino
In January 2025, I rented a studio space downtown — a decision that marked a turning point in my career as an artist.
Signing that lease felt like a big step — not just financially, but personally. It meant I wasn’t just painting when I had spare time anymore. It meant I was committing to create consistently, sell my work, and trust that I could make this sustainable. I had to believe in myself enough to pay rent on a space dedicated entirely to art.
I’ve always been someone who sets goals and works hard to reach them. But this felt different. This wasn’t just achieving something — it was stepping into who I believe I’m meant to be.
Walking into an established gallery filled with talented artists was exciting… and intimidating. My work felt different from much of what surrounded it, which I now see as a strength. At the time, though, I felt like the new kid in the room, trying to figure out where I fit.
I didn’t know what to paint first.
So I started.
I had a photograph of three sheep that I loved — two facing forward and one turned slightly away. The light on their wool was beautiful, and I was drawn to the texture and expression. Painting them felt playful. I layered on thick paint, let colors mix naturally, and allowed myself to experiment.
My studio is open to the public, so as I worked, people would wander in and watch. I smiled and kept painting, but inside my mind was racing: Is this good enough? Do I belong here?
When I finished, I titled it The Black Sheep. None of the sheep were actually black, but the one facing away was the one I connected with. It felt symbolic somehow.
The painting didn’t quite “fit” among the birds and marsh scenes in the gallery, so it stayed in my studio for a while. Months later, I moved it into the main space.
Seven months after I painted it, it sold. That same day, another person came in hoping to buy it too. I ended up painting it again as a commission — and later, a third time for someone who had seen it the previous summer and never forgot it.
People ask me if it gets easier the third time. In some ways, yes. I understand the process better. But in other ways, no. The first one was painted just because I wanted to. The others carried expectations.
Over time, I’ve realized that painting wasn’t really about sheep.
It was about feeling like the one slightly turned away.
There have been seasons in my life when I’ve felt like the black sheep — choosing a different path, becoming a young mom, deciding to pursue art seriously. Even in that gallery, surrounded by talented artists, I felt unsure at first.
Maybe that’s why the painting resonates.
Most of us have felt out of place at some point. We’ve questioned whether we fit in or whether we’re good enough. And sometimes growth begins exactly there — when we show up anyway.
That first “Black Sheep” now feels like a marker of the beginning. A reminder that stepping into something new will always feel vulnerable.
But sometimes the one turned slightly away isn’t lost.
Sometimes she’s just finding her own direction.
Rachel Migliorino is a local artist who works – and shows her work – in Studio #15 at Atelier Off Bay in downtown Beaufort. www.atelieroffbay.com
