About the Artist

 

Kayla DeVito first began oil painting in January of 2021 as a means to cope with a chronic illness that often left her homebound for days- sometimes weeks- at a time. Though not formally trained, she spent every spare minute researching and watching videos to teach herself the craft of painting in traditional oils. She hosted her first art show in August of 2021, where she sold 42 paintings within a few day's time.

Kayla is 31 years old and resides in the beautiful coastal town of Beaufort, SC where she is lucky to be able to paint one of the most diverse eco systems in the country. She finds inspiration in the little things- an dark seashell, bright marsh grass against a stormy sky, the smell of salt in the air, the way a band of rain can be seen coming for miles.

Since 2021, she has been practicing and intensely studying oils, usually sharing her progress on social media. She has gained notoriety for her paintings because of their very different style. She prefers moody scenes with depictions of light, representing hope within uncertain times.

Kayla opened her retail store, Amidst the Alders, in March of 2020 with her entire life's savings. Although the closed the doors for the pandemic just 5 days after, Kayla believes AtA is still here for a reason. She believes she can share hope through her social media channels- for those who also battle chronic or mental illnesses, for those who are still finding their path in life, for those who also opened a business during a pandemic. She hopes her paintings encapsulate those very feelings so that any collector, whether of an original or a fine art print, will know they're not alone in those feelings every time they walk past her art.