Meet the Artist
ARTIST BIO
Ivey is the Owner and Creative Director of Art By Ivey, LLC. She is a self-taught visual artist, born and raised in the New Orleans area. Her medium of choice is acrylic on canvas. Inspired by her background in business, Ivey has marketed several artistic niches as additional forms of income in addition to her canvas work. These endeavors include creative reproductions, furniture art, live painting at weddings and events as well as face-painting for children. Service to community and philanthropy are the cornerstones of the foundation of Art By Ivey, LLC. Youth mentorship, art donations as well as community outreach are the focus to support the mission to inspire. Canvas expression is her first love. Her style is versatile, from abstract to impressionism to realism often mixing these styles in her work. Impressionism is her favorite style. She discovered her talent in elementary school. She has been an artist for over 20 years.
INSPIRATIONS
"My inspirations are all variations of art. I believe that art is the only profession in which what we do is synonymous with who we are. Music, poetry, photography, sculpture, literature, theatre, personal experiences, etc. have all inspired my work in some way."
The Vision of Art By Ivey is that people around the world will recognize that everyone is an artist because everyone has the power to create their destiny with their God-given abilities alone, no matter what they may be.
The Mission is to create and ; not just art on canvas, but to create a new world where everyone understands the power of their creativity. We want to be an example to artists as well as those who appreciate art that anything can be achieved when we believe in our innate abilities. We believe our purpose for life is to create. Creating connects us to our Creator.
"Creativity is fluid. When we apply creativity to everything that we do, we introduce new perspectives and new ways of doing things. Art is not and never will be limited to a paintbrush and canvas. Art is everything. Creativity is necessary for evolution. Incorporating a creative mentality to any business model increases the possibilities for success. This is how millionaires are created- through innovation and changing the status quo."
-Ivey
Help Our Cause- Artists In Action
Your support and contributions will enable us to continue the vision of the Black Excellence Charity Exhibition. All donation funds will go toward funding for arts education and exposure initiatives for inner-city youth.
Wild Thoughts- From The Artist
The Winged Sun- Hear from the Artist
The Winged Sun- Hear from the Artist
The Winged Sun- Hear from the Artist
This painting is one of eleven of the Black Excellence Series from Ivey's debut exhibition. As this piece is a best seller, read below to hear the artist's interpretation.
3D Painting: Nefertiti: An Egyptian queen renowned for her beauty, Nefertiti ruled alongside her husband, Pharaoh Akhenaten, during the mid-1300s B.C.
The long sought-after debate of the race of the Egyptians has been long suffering to say the least. Were they white or were they people of color? Archeological evidence suggests the latter. Geography alone is enough to facilitate the idea that an African/ Egyptian climate would have been inhospitable to fair skin- Not to mention, the recent discovery of mummified remains with coarse tightly braided hair still intact.
A much more significant conversation isn’t the color of the skin of the Egyptians; but rather the social conditions of western culture in which texts and films were created to convince Americans that Egyptians (amongst other empires) were fair skinned with dark straight hair and blue eyes. This delusion wasn’t created to simply take credit for the great ancient Egyptian Dynasty, but to minimize the exceptional contributions that people of color have added to civilization which further implies inferiority. The example of the “white-washing” of Egyptians in America is just one of many. The Mayans, the Arabs as well as the Native Americans were not immune to this appropriation.
The artist’s conclusion of this subject is this:
The persecution of an entire race of people, without provocation is usually an indication of a deeply-rooted fear within the oppressor: A fear of that oppressed people regaining the superpower it once possessed. Perhaps civilizations were forcibly built on their backs because they were once the architects. The Egyptian symbol on her necklace (The Winged Sun) is associated with royalty, divinity and power.
Thorn Rose- A Personal Release
The Winged Sun- Hear from the Artist
The Winged Sun- Hear from the Artist
This painting was created as a therapeutic release, when the artist and her significant other had a disturbing experience during a routine-traffic stop.
Both are African-American and were threatened and demeaned by officers. This all happened on the same day the tragic Charlottesville riots took place. She feared for his safety when he was asked to exit the vehicle, considering the many instances of unarmed black men being murdered by police officers. This piece was also apart of the Black Excellence Series. Click the link below to view painting and read corresponding poem.
Just Start Again
The Winged Sun- Hear from the Artist
Just Start Again
Wherever you are in life, it is never too late to follow your passion. Don't worry about what may come from it, just start. After almost a decade-long hiatus from the art world, I decided on a whim to go back to my roots and and paint again. What started as one "therapy session" turned into an 11-piece series, a debut charity exhibition and now a business.
"I was always that kid in kindergarten doodling when I was supposed to be paying attention to math. I still hate numbers. My teachers assumed I had an attention deficit, when really I was distracted by my natural urge to create. I was blessed to have parents who paid attention and understood that I was just different. Eventually in the 1st grade, a teacher noticed one of my drawings and suggested that I should be tested for a gifted-arts program. If it wasn't for that, I probably wouldn't have explored my talent further. I am so grateful to her for that and she will never know. That is why teachers that care are so important. We spend more time with them than we do with our parents. She paid attention and helped to introduce me to a world where I felt like I belonged. In that program, I learned the basics, like how to sketch, use colors and sculpt but it wasn't until my adult life that I began to teach myself how to paint."
-Ivey