Digital subscriptions provided by the City of Gulfport THE GABBER.COM No. 2693
January 28 - February 3, 2021
Raw Emotion: The Art of Camilla Byrd By Abby Baker
CAMILLA BYRD
Pre-pandemic, Camilla Byrd was working full time at a St. Petersburg cafe. In March of 2020, she found $50 worth of forgotten oil paint in a wayward closet. The 29-year-old painter never looked back. “Oil is what I’m going to be using for the rest of my life,” Byrd said. “I’m just passionate about it.” Having taken a few art classes in high school, Byrd painted for fun and worked with acrylic paints over the years, but the habit never stuck until the quarantine blues teased it out of her. “It’s hard to consider myself an artist, even though I’ve always worked on artsy things and such,” Byrd said. “I guess this is the first time I’ve taken it seriously.” Less than a year later, Byrd is working as a professional artist, creating whimsical oil portraits and surreal living room sketches 30 hours a week. “In March I was having a bit of an existential crisis,” Byrd said. “I’m close to 30 now. I have nothing to lose, so I just went full-fledged at it.” Her first oil painting, titled “A Nightmare Within a Dream,” is draped in blue with nostalgic undertones. Nearly a year later, she’s still working
Titled “Beth,” the oil-on-canvas piece pays homage to the 2020 Netflix show, “The Queen’s Gambit.”
with human subjects, typically people she knows, to create oil-on-canvas pieces that reflect realistic human emotions in surreal environments. Tropical fruits suspended in the
A Land Worth More Than Remembering P.12
TAX PREPARATION BUSINESS & INDIVIDUAL BACK TAXES AUDIT REPRESENTATION
727-344-9220 5420 Central Ave MoralesBurke.com
air, a thoughtful woman lounging in outer space, Byrd blends real life with fantasy, while holding on to her subject’s “reality.” Camilla continued pn page 23
It’s Strawberry Season! P.20
ANY Situation... ANY Price...
WE ALWAYS PAY CASH!
727-351-6502
Authentic Italian Pizza Restaurant A local favorite since 1976
6890 Gulfport Blvd S | 727-256-8841
