Creating with intention

Tyrek Studivant poses with some of his artwork, clockwise, from top left, “Crowning Of The King,” an oil on canvas, “Bet You’re Wondering How I Got Here,” an oil on wood panel and “The Creator”, an oil on wood panel, at his home in Ocala, Fla. on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Studivant was named The Best In Show winner of a recent City of Ocala art competition called “Techne” for his artwork titled “Them Darn Nab Seagulls,” an acrylic on canvas. The City of Ocala, in partnership with Fine Arts for Ocala (FAFO), held the 2026 Student and Emerging Competition, “Techne,” on Tuesday evening at Ocala City Hall. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.

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Posted February 9, 2026 | By Susan Smiley-Height / Photos by Bruce Ackerman

Tyrek Studivant is a curator — of art and life.

He painstakingly creates works of contemporary art, but with the old masters in mind. He works hard to support his blended immediate family of a fiancée and their combined five children. And through it all, this young Ocala artist melds his life story with his visions for the future.

Studivant recently had his painting titled “Them Darn Nab Seagulls” named Best in Show for the 2026 Student and Emerging Artist Competition hosted by the city of Ocala in partnership with Fine Arts for Ocala (FAFO).

The resulting “Techne” exhibition is on display at Ocala City Hall through March 9. The title “Techne” is derived from the Greek word “τέχνη,” meaning skill, craft or the art of making, reflecting the exhibition’s focus on creativity, technique and innovation.

And all of those terms also fit into the life of Studivant, who was born in California when his father was stationed there in the U.S Marine Corps. Studivant was raised in Ocala and, after graduating from Lake Weir High School, also served in the USMC.

As for honing his craft, Studivant said he is self-taught.

“I was always painting and drawing as a kid. It was just something I used to kind of express myself,” he said. “I would doodle and then there was what I call YouTube University.”

He describes his style as neo-classical.

“I really respect the old master’s methods in their way of composing art, and they focused a lot more on the drawing aspect and then glazing on top of it so if you see a piece like this one,” he said, pointing to one of his works in progress, title “Another One,” which shows his likeness in shades of blue, “this is just the under painting.”

“Eventually, it will be my skin tone, but it’s going to be with thin layers of coppers, flesh tones, reds magentas and a certain kind of green, that when you mix them all together in thin layers, it composes into something very beautiful. And that’s the difference between when you go to museums and look at the old masters art, it looks different, and that’s what I’m trying to emulate. But I still like to add impressionism and sometimes I will just paint on the spot, in big, bold strokes. I lean heavily on the classical ways and then I just add a touch of newer, more modern elements,” he added.

As for how he decided to paint the piece that won the Best in Show title, which shows raucous seagulls in a beach scene, along with some of his children, he said he and his fiancée, Maia Fox, were talking about entering the city/FAFO competition and he just came up with the idea and knocked it right out. The name is a throwback to phrasing used by his grandmother.

“She was a very pivotal person for me. When I named it, I kind of just leaned on her. She has passed away, but I leaned on her to come up with a name for it,” he explained.

“One thing she always said was, ‘family, family, family. Her wealth was family. And that picture depicts a day my family spent at the beach. And so, it felt right. I wanted to put my grandmother in it. I felt like that’s what she would have said,” he added.

What Studivant hopes to convey through his art is that “this world doesn’t have to be hell. it’s all about your perspective.”

“Sometimes, a lot of our decisions lead us to consequences that we don’t favor, and you have to understand that a lot of what our perspectives, or our mindsets, have become, are based off our own decisions. You can make the best of it, or you can choose to see it in a certain light. What I want to convey, more than anything, is my truth, and what we choose to do after said decisions,” he shared.

Studivant has been a resident artist with the Magnolia Art Xchange (MAX) and has had his works displayed at area venues such as the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place and the Appleton Museum of Art.

Now, he said, he wants to create a more intentional body of work, as with “Another One.”

“It’s kind of going to be touching on the message that I genuinely want to convey — live in a worldly lifestyle and you will get worldly results. You’ll see it in this painting here,” he said, motioning again to the work in progress. “The decision of drinking, smoking, women… these depictions have a dual meaning. This is a depiction of my failed marriage. Now, what decisions am I going to be making? This painting will tell my personal flaws. All I’ve painted so far has been joy, and I always want to focus on the beauty in life and the positive aspects of it, but with beauty there is also pain.”

Studivant is the father of three boys, one with Maia. She is the mother of another son and a daughter. The blended family of seven collectively embraces art in various ways. Their son, Nasa-Soul, 2, likes to sit in his father’s lap when he works on paintings in his home studio. Fox herself is an artist who also entered a work in the “Techne” competition.

Fox said she looks up to her fiancé when it comes to art, and as a mentor.

“I used to draw when I was a kid, but I didn’t have the confidence to pursue it. But when I met him, he would encourage me. If not for him, I wouldn’t actively be painting,” she noted, while directing attention to a piece she is working on as a commission for her sister.

“He inspires me a lot, his way of storytelling. He is many things to me, a teacher, a partner. I just love to watch him work and see how people appreciate his work because he puts a lot of thought, care and consideration into it. If you could see the process… he plans down to every tiny bit, super intentional. I love seeing him get his work into museums. He’s very much an, ‘If I speak it, it exists,’ kind of person. Before he got into the Appleton, he said to me, ‘I’m going to have a painting in the Appleton,’ and it damned sure happened. I was in awe.”

As it turns out, Studivant had several pieces on display in Ocala’s noted museum. Now, they hang in the couple’s bedroom, which is filled with ornate furnishings.

“His intentionality can be seen even in this décor. His expression goes to every fiber of his being. His creativity touches everything. He planned how he wanted the room down, to a T. He technically curated the room into a gallery of sorts,” Fox said with a broad smile as she waved her hand around the room.

According to Jamie Antonetti, cultural arts coordinator for the city of Ocala, the “Techne” artists competed in divisions based on years of experience. The exhibition was juried by Álvaro Lima, assistant professor of art history at the University of Florida, Ryan Andrew Neumann, representing FAFO; and Charlita Whitehead, city of Ocala Economic Development Project Coordinator and a practicing artist. The prizes included scholarships, cash awards, gift certificates, museum memberships, professional framing and more.

“Techne” is on view 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Ocala City Hall, at 110 SE Watula Ave., through March 9. All artworks are available for purchase unless otherwise noted. 

Studivant, who works in oil, acrylic and mosaic, accepts commissions. To inquire, call (352) 454-6107 and leave a message. To learn more, find him at instagram.com/ty_vinci