Amy Lay admits that it took her a few years to recognize the value of the art degree she earned from Eastern Oregon University in 1994. At the time, most of the faculty members were interested only in abstract art and didn’t appreciate her passion for wildlife and nature.
Since those were the only subjects that interested her, Lay often felt that her instructors snubbed her. But there was one professor who encouraged her to take the time to explore and to develop her own style. Thirty years later, the style that emerged from that exploration has become the hallmark of Lay’s wildlife paintings.
As a student, she focused on watercolors. She had been using them since she was a child and loved the looseness and freedom they allowed. She also loved that the pencil lines of her original drawing showed through the paint. The drawing, she says, has always been the most important part of any piece she creates.
Read the full article in the July/August 2024 issue.
Maggies & The Bull
Oil and Charcoal
36″ by 48″
Instinct
Oil and Charcoal
36″ by 48″
