21Country: Drece Guy’s abstract art
“I think the fascinating thing to me, is that everybody sees something different,” he told us.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA21) - For the last decade, Drece Guy has been spending his free time honing his painting skills. But within the last couple years, interest in his abstract art has significantly picked up. “People ask, ‘are you a professional artist?’” Guy told us. “I’ll say, ‘I never even thought about that!’” But despite the many things in his life that require his attention — a family, a full-time job, church, and more — he remains dedicated to his craft.
“I’ve been drawing since I can remember,” he shared. “The first college I went to, they didn’t have an art program, so I didn’t pursue it.” Guy admitted he was afraid he couldn’t pursue art as a career, while supporting a family. But around 2011, he reconnected with painting and because using it weekly as an outlet. During his day job, he works with foster care youth. “When I’m really stressed, I just love painting — it’s like a release for me.”
But his path to abstract art wasn’t immediate. “The first painting I did… a painting of my wife — it just looked horrible!” He laughed. “After that, I just decided to stick to colors and abstract painting.” Guy didn’t immediately give up on portraits. It’s still something he loves doing, if he can find the time to work on more time consuming projects.
Upstairs in his Fort Wayne home, is a small room Guy uses as an office, lifting weights, and of course painting. “I use canvases sometime, but I’m way more comfortable painting on the floor,” he explained. “I get messy a lot, but my process is, I usually turn on some music, I usually pray, and I start painting.”
“I usually don’t have any idea of what I’m going to paint, I just have the colors that I plan to use,” he added. Recently, his work has been featured in several galleries and pop-up sales. “I think the fascinating thing to me is that everybody sees something different,” Guy said. “I would just like to encourage people. I would like people to just feel better when they see my art.”
For those interested, you can view the artwork Drece Guy has for sale on his Facebook page here, or on Instagram. He is also scheduled to participate in the annual ‘Falling for Art’ Artists’ Studio Tour Oct. 15-16. There, he will move his studio outside to the garage, where visitors can see and speak to him about his work, and maybe even watch him paint. “I’m still exploring,” he told us. “I’m trying to get better practicing and I’m just trying to be a better artists, just learn, and continue to grow.”
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