As Soft as She Is…, 2022

Candice Hoyes: I'm Candice Hoyes and I'm a multidisciplinary vocalist and composer, and I'm the model in As Soft as She Is….

When I look at this painting, I see a woman who stands out by nature, and I think it comes from this spectacular natural coat that she's wearing. I see so many qualities, emotional qualities in the colors themselves. Certainly the Black feminine divine comes through and in a way that's singular that I haven't seen anywhere else. And yet there's a ferocity and a tenderness that are twin flames in this.

The first time I got a look at the portrait, I was awash with emotion. The thing though that was intensely personal was I recognized my grandmother. I realized this gift of legacy that Amy had given me through the portrait and I just, to this day, gives me a feeling of utter wonder, like beyond words, to see the magic of the portrait work on me that way.

I'd say that I feel as a friend and an artist that Amy is devoted to the exquisite universe inside of quiet moments. The little moments between life's extremes, whether you're resting or healing or just walking into a room. And that these can be really moments that reveal so much. And she just catches these ephemeral moments that are fastballs that most can't catch. And in them are so many subtleties that tell a story of this depth below.