Candace earned a BFA at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. She continued her study of Fine Art in the graduate program at East Carolina University instead of accepting an offer to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Ironically, her initial career path led her straight to merchandising and fashion design. Candace counts Andrew Wyeth, Jim Dine and Egon Scheile as major influences on her artistic expression. She considers her personal style to be straightforward, illustrative and heart-felt. Her subject matters range from landscape to portraiture to beloved family pets. She finds much inspiration in the silent soulfulness of a loyal dog's gaze. Candace Maley's work springs from a desire to show appreciation, even admiration for those who share her life. She strives to infuse a sense of comfort in all she creates. Because her work is highly personalized specifically for the recipient, she has rarely shown.
"The power of putting line, value, color and space to a simple piece of paper to create something realistically three-dimensional is nothing short of divine. To transform my mind's eye image to a visual reality is a gift I am grateful to possess. I am humbled each time I succeed. Then I am inspired to repeat the process. Each subject dictates the medium- oil, pastel, watercolor, fabric, etc. And in turn, each medium dictates the final creation. And each creation, if successful, dictates that elusive sense of comfort."
Visit her site at www.candymaley.com.
