ST. LANDRY PARISH — Nestled in the heart of Sunset, Louisiana, a small, bright yellow building on the city's main street serves as the creative sanctuary of Jerilyn Guidry LaVergne, an artist who has been creating unique works of art for over 11 years. LaVergne's studio, a space filled with vibrant colors and diverse media, is where she brings her creative visions to life.
LaVergne shared, "I just walk in my studio in the morning, I wait for inspiration to hit me, and I start working. I just make whatever I think of." Inspiration for LaVergne often emerges from various sources, particularly her everyday life. "My life, and most of the time I have good days, because you can choose that. But I don’t know. I just walk in the door, I wait for it. Maybe I had something wonderful happen to me before, and I just feel something good. I look around and see all this color, and it’s easy to be inspired, to be honest."
LaVergne's studio provides an environment where creativity thrives, but her journey as an artist began long before she opened her studio. From a young age, LaVergne displayed a natural flair for creativity. "My mom found me one day hiding behind a door with scissors and a needle and thread, and when she found me, I had made a miniature costume that I wore in a school play," she explained. This early inclination toward crafting and making things with her hands would continue to shape her artistic path. As she grew older, art remained a constant force in her life. "I remember cooking supper one night, and I had a huge fire on the stove because I was painting, and I lost track of reality," she recalled.
While much of LaVergne's art features glass, she has a broad range of creative outlets that reflect her diverse skill set. Surrounded by her pieces, she explained, "If you look over there, you’ll see the work that I did. I painted using glass instead of paint, and you would think that, oh, somebody could just throw color on there and mess with it, but you have to feel something. You have to feel something to do abstract work." LaVergne also offers advice for those who doubt their artistic abilities: "A lot of people come in here and say, 'Oh, I have no artistic ability.' Well, my advice to them—and I’m gonna quote my friend here—is ‘paint what you see.’"
Whether using glass, paint, or another medium, LaVergne remains dedicated to the philosophy of creating what she sees and feels—one piece at a time.
