About the Artist

Artist Bio - 

Amy Straley (b. 1988, Laguna Hills, CA) is a contemporary, figurative oil painter. Her work explores moments of introspection, emotional tension, and inner stillness. She draws inspiration from nature, connecting the earth to femininity as a symbol of self-awareness, resilience, and the shifting emotional states we move through as women. Amy currently lives and works in Southern California.

Exhibitions: 

2026 - Art Comes Alive - group exhibition, ADC Fine Art, Cincinnati, OH

2026 - The Feminine Universe - group exhibition Blue Prolific Gallery, Houston, TX

2025 - She Who Carries the World - group exhibition Toronto, Canada

Artist Statement -

My work is inspired by the many incredible women I have connected with throughout my life. You'll see a play of delicacy and strength, femininity, and resilient power. After spending almost two decades as a ballet dancer, followed by a long career in women's fashion and merchandising, I chose to step away from it all for a moment of rest. This time in my life allowed me to slip back into the creative space I had been craving for so long.

A nod to the seasons in my paintings represent the growth and shifts of the seasons of life, while the landscapes I incorporate give the figures a dreamlike place to exist in. Surreal dreamlands, subliminally connecting women to nature and the seasons of the earth. An place of colorful mountains, deep oceans, and endless skies.

As women, we travel through many stages of life while still being expected to carry on in silent strength. In my figures you'll see confidence, joy, sadness, and sarcasm. An expression paused to reflect on, as if they're allowing you into their thoughts for a moment in time before returning to the expectations of the world.