Weaving Faith, Family, and Fine Art: The Passion of Skyla Hegwood
- Anna LaBay
- 16 hours ago
- 4 min read
McCOOK, Neb. — In the southwest corner of her kitchen, where sunlight pours through a wall of windows, oil painter Skyla Hegwood spends countless hours bringing portraits and stories to life. Her easel — a cherished gift from her college art instructor — fits perfectly in that bright corner, transforming the space into a home studio that’s part of her daily rhythm.
“It’s where everything happens,” she said with a small laugh. “I love that I can paint right here, close to my family.”
At just 24, Hegwood is already building a name for herself in the local art world and beyond. With a deep and abiding faith in God, she channels her life experience and artistic talent into stunning oil paintings while running her business, Skyla Hegwood Fine Art, and engaging with her community.
From complex family portraits to her upcoming debut as a live wedding painter, Hegwood’s journey is a testament to growth, dedication, and the power of creative expression.
Mastering the Art of Oil Painting
Hegwood’s preferred medium is oil painting, a skill she credits to her time at McCook Community College.
“I used to do pencil drawings a lot, and I thought that was my thing,” she shared. “Then in my second year, we did oil painting.”
Under the instruction of longtime MCC art instructor Rick Johnson, she learned about the traditional techniques of the masters — layering, light, and patience. “After that,” she said, smiling, “I didn’t want to go back to pencil drawings anymore.”
She remembers Johnson’s teaching style fondly — hands-on and demanding, but encouraging. “I learned a lot that way,” she said. “He pushed us, and I appreciated that.”
The Power of Commissioned Work and Personal Series
Hegwood’s business thrives on commissioned pieces, but she’s also developing personal art series that draw deeply from her life.
She recently completed her 28th painting — a large, complex family portrait for a Kansas client featuring six faces merged from separate photographs. “I kind of had to work on adding the same skin tones because the lighting was different in all the pictures,” she explained. “Making it look natural took a lot of time and blending.”
Her ongoing personal work includes a meaningful series centered on hands, which serve as symbols of faith, family, and humility:
-Parents’ hands reflect how her parents influenced her marriage.
-Walk With Me depicts her and her husband’s hands, representing their journey through a year that included postpartum depression and a season of foster parenting. “It’s gonna mean more now than it would have later,” she said.
-Humbled Hands shows her holding a Bible a reminder “to stay humble in my art and give glory to God in that.”
Looking ahead, she’s also planning a five- to six-painting series on parenthood, hoping to capture “those unexplainable feelings of being a parent — the kind that you can’t always put into words.”
Faith Woven into Every Brushstroke
Hegwood’s strong faith isn’t just a personal foundation — it’s central to her creative process.
“I want God weaved into my whole life,” she said. For her, that means dedicating her talent back to the One she believes gave it to her, and using her business for His glory.
Faith shows up in her work through both prayer and symbolism:
Prayer: “I like to at least try, at least once, to pray over who it’s going to,” she said, adding that for a recent family portrait, she prayed “specifically for each kid that’s in there.”
Symbolism: She incorporates small light circles into her personal paintings — a subtle nod to Jesus.
That same spirit of service carries into her community. Hegwood has led paint classes for hospice nurses through the Art Bank, and in November she’ll teach oil painting to high school art students at McCook High School. She’s also an active member of McCook Christian Church, where her husband helps with the youth group and she assists with Children’s Church.
New Horizons: Live Painting and Public Art
This year brings new challenges — including Hegwood’s first live wedding painting in July, where she’ll draw and paint in real time without her usual tools or time for layering. “That’s a lot of pressure,” she admitted with a smile. To prepare, she plans to practice on-site painting at a natural rock archway in Kansas, filming the process as part of her rebranding efforts.
In addition to her portrait work, Hegwood has also made her mark in public art. She completed all the large-scale lettering and interior stripes for Kitchen Solvers, and she’s part of the local mural team, excited to create lasting pieces for the community.
“It is fun to have something where I can say, ‘Hey, I helped on that,’” she said. “I think that’s cool.”
Skyla Hegwood Fine Art: Growth and Vision
When asked what she hopes people feel when they look at her work, Hegwood said, “I hope that people can relate to my paintings in their own way.”
For commissions, she hopes her clients “look at their painting and are brought back to that memory.” For her personal work, she wants people to “feel a sense of calm and joy — and get stuck in looking at all the details so it keeps them intrigued.”
Her rebranding as Skyla Hegwood Fine Art reflects that sense of evolution. “I want my new branding to represent my growth and maturity,” she said. “My pricing and products now reflect that.”
She now builds and stretches many of her canvases by hand for a more polished, durable finish, and she prices her work by the square inch to ensure fairness for both her and her clients.
Looking ahead, Hegwood is excited about her rebrand, her teaching opportunity at the high school, and the art show and oil painting giveaway she plans to host in January. She also hopes to bring more of her original work to galleries.
Above all, her hope remains simple: “I just hope that I can continue it and just be passionate about it.”
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