About the Artist
Hi there! My name is Amy Groff, and I am an artist based out of Lancaster, PA. I was born and raised in a small town in Lancaster County and have been painting all my life. I strive to capture the ever changing and elusive emotions that course through everything that we see and do. Sometimes, that comes out in an abstract piece and other times I express in the form of landscapes of the beautiful area in which I live. On occasion, I even combine the two! I also love to paint anything involving nature, like flowers and birds and all types of furry creatures.
I am a member of the LCAA (Lancaster County Art Association) and will occasionally have some paintings on display there. Be sure to check out their page for exhibit updates and events!
"En Plein Air" paintings
One of my passions is "en plein air" painting, which is a term used by the 19th century French Impressionists that translates to "out of doors" or "in open air", meaning painting outside, out of the studio. The paintings are created on site, using the surroundings as your inspiration and subject matter. Sometimes these paintings are finished in one sitting, called "alla prima". (Pictured; "Into the Woods & Through the Tunnel", 10x20 oil, 2021)
Other times they are a sketch, which are later turned into larger studio pieces. 90% of the time my plein air paintings are completed in one session, "alla prima". Very rarely will I continue to work on them in the studio. I love to hop on my motorcycle with my "painting backpack" as I call it and ride around Lancaster County finding different areas to paint. (Although honestly, I tend to end up in a river town by the Susquehanna River most often, I grew up near the river and am just drawn to it, what can I say?!) The process of plein air of painting has brought me great joy and peace, and has also helped me greatly refine my craft, as you are in a time crunch against the ever changing light! I recommend everyone try it at least once!
Abstract paintings
The abstract work I do is greatly influenced by a condition I have that I am very open and honest about. 1 in 20 women have this condition, and most are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. It's called PMDD, and I encourage you to Google it and learn more. I am one of the lucky ones who was diagnosed relatively early, and for that I am forever thankful to my amazing doctor. The disorder causes intense rises and falls in my serotonin levels and my overall mental health, and I have found creating abstract art while in the "falls" of the condition is EXTREMELY helpful and actually life-saving. I create these pieces with intense emotions and I hope that you as the viewer can feel different emotions when you view my abstract paintings. There is no right or wrong thing to feel when viewing them, I only hope that something is felt. If that is the case, then I have reached my goal in the piece!
(Pictured; "Flare", 15x30 Mixed Media 2021)
Floral, Wildlife, Nature, and Landscape paintings
Something about the vibrancy of color found in so many flowers is always exciting to me! Because of the short life span of so many blooms, I find it even more satisfying to paint them, letting their beauty last far longer than the blooms themselves ever could.
When it comes to birds and wildlife being the focal point of a piece, I find there is so much to play with when it comes to textures and lighting and color. Add in to that the symbolism that different creatures offer, and there is an endless world of stories that can be told. (Pictured; "Halloween Dragonfly" 24x24 Oil 2021)
Landscapes are my first love when it comes to subjects. Whether painting plein air or creating a made up land from my own imagination, there is still so much to say. From skies, to distant mountains, to iconic landmarks and overall color, so much can be said and so many moods can be conveyed.
Outside of Art
Aside from being an artist, I am a busy mom to four amazing kiddos! We enjoy camping, biking, kayaking, board games, intense races in MarioKart, and whatever else we can get into! Life is too short to take yourself too seriously, so we are always being goofy and silly and trying to find as much adventure as we can.