Description
Strength & Grace by April Zay
oil on board
12 x 15 inches
Artist Statement: My self portrait is titled Strength and Grace. The inspiration for this piece came during the pandemic, as a result of all the changes I was experiencing in my career, personal life and the volatile state of the world. I carefully thought about all the imagery in this portrait and really tried to create a cohesive illustration that would represent me. In order for me to put myself into a painting, I had to really get to know myself. I often task my students to create a self portrait that showcases their interests, so I wanted to do the same for myself. The main focus was to paint myself and my Akita Franny together in the piece. The Akita is a Japanese breed that is revered as being graceful and powerful. She represents the Grace part of the painting. Franny is also my muse and because I specialize in animal portraits, it seems fitting to feature my pet.
I then created a few different designs to try and capture my thoughts and feelings in a way that might resonate with viewers. I wanted hummingbirds, they represent my artistic side. The lily of the valley are my birth flowers but can also be seen to mean rebirth and hope. The big green leaves along the bottom edges represent my love of the American southwest, where I lived during the formative years of my life. Much of my art style and love of hummingbirds is inspired by New Mexico. The background are the clouds settling over the valley near the Blueridge Parkway in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The morning my grandfather passed away, as I was driving, I came across this scene with the sun peeking through the clouds in the early morning, and it was one of the most serene moments of my life. And finally, I added myself. I wanted my clothing to be neutral, and I picked this pose because I wanted something stoic and graceful. I am the Strength part of this piece. I have worked so hard for many years to build my art business, and raise a family. There have been many times I have wanted to give up, and when the pandemic hit, I was faced with reinventing myself so that I could not only continue my art studio, but also be there for my kids and let them know that we will be ok and emerge even stronger.
Bio: April Zay is a designer, teaching artist, and founder of Hummingbird Arts Studio. Her passion for art began at three years old. Graduating from the FIT with a BFA in Illustration, She started her career in graphic design working for high-end companies, including Lenox China.
In 2006 she founded Hummingbird Arts LLC, providing personalised art and art education. April teaches art programming for Young Audiences of NJ and Eastern PA, Princeton Charter School, The Arts Council of Princeton and other locations. In addition to being a teaching artist, April crafts fine jewelry, paints and continues to do graphic design work.
In 2021 April became part of the Princeton Makes artist co-op and has made so many lifelong friends and has found new inspiration for her future creative work.
not for sale
