Biography

  Blythe Armstrong was born and raised in South Florida. Blythe first majored in visual art as a middle schooler, and would later attend A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts for high school. ​Currently, she is attending Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

   Blythe is fascinated by the brilliant and dramatic stories of the late 18th century. Many of which lack visual representation because they are either too obscure, or much of the evidence of them was destroyed during conflicts, leaving very limited material to work with. Blythe's paintings visualize her understanding of the subjects she reads about in her historical practice. This interest originated with her grandparents. On her father’s side, war stories from her American ancestors, while on her mother’s side, from Barbados, an appreciation of 18th century aesthetics. Presently, Blythe maintains a historical practice in late 18th century rebellions and revolutions.

 In her work, Blythe recognizes the impossibility of a fully accurate history painting, so she includes visual nods to this through symbols like lace and blue. Lace serves as a symbol for memory, and its curtain-like appearance makes the composition mimic a stage while also creating a separation between the viewer and the event. The structure of lace, being different strings woven together at different points, parallels the way moments in history converge.

The color blue represents the conceptual, spiritual,  or “missing” parts of a narrative, derived from the American tradition of “Haint Blue”. The use of this symbol ties geographical connections and philosophies back to the artist's work.