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     A childhood immersed in the four seasons of rural Vermont showcased the
natural world to Ayres, initiating an early sense of wonder and appreciation for it. This
reverence for the natural landscape initiated her creativity then and continues to
inspire her work today.

     

     At fourteen, Ayres left the frozen February tundra of Vermont for the dusty dirt roads
and lush mountainscapes of Puerto Rico for one week. She travelled with her church
youth group to several locations on the island, participating in community projects
with schools and churches. This adventure spawned a new found love for travel, a
theme unwilling to subdue.
 

     Ayres struck gold while studying English at the University of Vermont when she
enrolled in an acrylic painting course. This led her to accomplish a minor in Studio Art.
After a semester studying abroad in London, where she visited many artists of history
in London’s world renowned galleries and museums, she began exploring the medium
in greater earnest. Ayres’s curiosity for different places and cultures led her to travel
in her spare time after graduating college. She explored the western United States,
Europe, Costa Rica and Mexico. Upon each return home to Vermont, she delved further
into her passion for painting, translating both her travels and home on canvas.
Predominantly self-taught, Ayres began exploring the rich, expressive qualities of oil
paints several years after learning how to paint with acrylics.
 

     In 2014, she moved to St Petersburg, Florida, fulfilling a life-long dream to live in a
warm place by the sea. In St Pete, she studied yoga and continues to use the practices
of yoga and meditation to expand her awareness and understanding of the power of
creativity.
 

     In addition to her own work, Ayres is committed to working with two Pinellas County
Non-Profit organizations: Nomad Art Bus and Creative Clay Cultural Arts Center, both
of which offer arts access to underserved communities.

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