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Kayla Marie Anley (Andrus) manifests her art from a place of deep introspection and personal narrative, intertwined with the natural world that serves as her sanctuary in times of loss. The landscapes of mid-north America, a region she has always known as home, not only shape the backdrop of her life but also cradle the subjects of her creations—animals native to this area, each one a testament to the enduring beauty and complexity of the ecosystems she cherishes.

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Darkness in Kayla's work is both literal and metaphorical, as she employs charcoal and graphite to explore themes of mortality and existence. The use of stark black backgrounds, where the forms of animals emerge, offers a space where vulnerability meets the vastness of nature. It's in this quietude that Kayla, echoing the words of her wife, finds solace in feeling small—a sentiment that reflects not insignificance but a profound sense of being part of something larger, a world that nurtures and dwarfs our human experiences.

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Stars scattered across her pieces are not just emblems of the night sky but are imbued with personal significance. They represent the unknown, the cosmos where memories of lost loved ones may dwell, echoing her insight that, amidst nature's grandeur, we feel small yet watched over, comforted by the possibility that our ancestors' spirits lay there. 

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Kayla's art is a dialogue with life's most poignant elements—its fleeting beauty and its inevitable endings. Through her work, she offers a shared reflection on our place in the cycle of life, providing a sense of grounding and peace in the understanding that we are but a part of the grand narrative of existence. Her pieces invite others to experience this same sense of protective smallness, to find wonder in the embrace of the natural world, and to consider the legacies we leave in the gentle care of the earth.