Tonya McGuire, an artist based in St. Augustine, recently displayed two original sea turtle paintings titled “Immense World” at the St. Johns County Julington Creek Library. She is inspired by Ed Yong’s book, “Immense World.” McGuire is passionate about protecting sea life and spreading awareness for how to better preserve it.
Tell us about your sea turtle series, “Immense World.”
My sea turtle series is a love letter to wonder and protection. It lives between realism and emotion, where turtles feel present and alive, but also symbolic.
I use layered texture, dissect images to convey motion, bands of color to suggest heartbeat, memory, and the quiet intelligence of the natural world.
Sharing this work at the SJC libraries and Julington Creek feels especially meaningful to me. Libraries are where curiosity begins, and it feels right for this work to live in a space that invites people of all ages to slow down, look closely and reconnect.
Tell us more about Ed Yong and how his book, “Immense World,” inspired your paintings.
Ed Yong’s writing reminds us that every living being experiences the world differently. “Immense World” encouraged me to imagine what it might feel like to move through the ocean as a sea turtle, sensing vibration, light and current rather than seeing in a purely human way. That perspective shifted my painting practice. I focus less on perfect realism and more on emotional truth, allowing light to become feeling and movement to become story.
What first sparked your interest in art and what has your journey as an artist been like?
Creative energy is at the core of who I am although I’ve never painted prolifically. I’ve sketched and made watercolor gifts for friends and family over the years. But my true return to painting came during discovering I could not drive suddenly in the summer of ‘23. SVT heart surgery forced me into stillness.
My type A never would have chosen to slow down, but my body insisted. In that pause, I found my brushes again. After many years in corporate technology and sales, art became the most honest work I’ve ever done, a way to turn lived experience into meaning and color.
Tell us more about your passion for protecting sea life. What can people do to help?
Sea life cannot speak our language, yet it tells our story through the health of the ocean.
I’m deeply committed to protecting sea turtles and coastal ecosystems, because what we do on land always reaches the water. A portion is donated to the St. Augustine Sea Turtle Beach Patrol and Friends of the Library, supporting both conservation and access to education.
Simple actions matter, too: reducing single-use plastics, securing fishing line and trash, choosing reef-safe sunscreen, respecting nesting areas and supporting local conservation organizations.
Tell us more about Portraits That Speak.
Portraits That Speak are legacy portraits. They go beyond likeness to honor a story, a season or a person someone loves deeply. Each piece begins with a conversation, and I often incorporate symbolism, color or subtle details meaningful to the family.
These portraits are designed to be lived with and passed down, honoring connection, remembrance and becoming.
[Learn more at: https://www.tonyamcguire.com/transformation.]
What do you like best about what you do?
I love the moment when someone feels seen. Whether it’s a collector standing quietly in front of a painting or a family receiving a portrait that holds their story, that connection is everything. Art has a way of saying what words cannot, and painting continually invites me to grow, trust and stay honest.
What is a typical day like for you?
My weekdays begin early with a brisk walk with our pup and or yoga by 6 a.m. Mornings are simple and intentional: getting dressed, decaf coffee, yogurt or cereal with fresh fruit, vitamins and reviewing my calendar.
I often pull visual sources from sketches, dreams and my Pinterest boards to set the tone for the day. Painting time from 9 a.m. to noon is non-negotiable. I work in focused blocks, then move between scheduled calls and continued studio time through the afternoon.
Evenings are for dinner, friends, pickleball and admin work such as website updates, emails and responding on Instagram and Facebook.
I kept my granddaughter on weekdays during her first year of life, and that time shaped me deeply. Inspiration sometimes arrives in waves, even late at night, and I’ve learned to honor it when a painting calls for another layer.
What brought you to this community?
I’m originally from Atlanta, Georgia, specifically Clayton County. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, my daughter was born in Lexington County, South Carolina.
Florida became home in 2001 when I moved to St. Augustine. In 2020, I purchased my home in the Rivertown community in St. Johns, and it was here, in September of 2023, that I found my brushes again and began this current chapter as an artist.
What do you like best about living here?
I’m blessed with an incredible sense of community that spans different chapters of my life, from friends in my former corporate world to collectors who have become friends. I enjoy sharing adventures, entertaining and bringing people together. I love traveling out west for expansive skies, mountains and the richness of all four seasons, but Florida continues to inspire me deeply. Day trips and weekends here still offer so much to explore, experience, and translate onto canvas.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I love adventure and being outdoors: pickleball, hiking, boating, windsurf or just beach time with family, and travel all feed my spirit. I spend as much time as possible with my family, including my daughter’s extended family and my granddaughter. I enjoy dinner parties and live entertainment, college football and competitive softball my daughter coaches.
What's next for you and your art?
What’s next is intentional growth and service. I’m continuing to expand my sea life and Florida-inspired series, Portraits That Speak, and whole-home and office transformation bundles that curate multiple works into supportive, intentional environments.
I’m an active member of a professional society of artists participating in shows across the Southeast U.S. I mentor other artists stepping into their destiny now and feel called to formally focus on youth and speaking engagements.
I believe deeply that the arts heal our soul, normalize imperfection and give children a safe place to fail, explore and find themselves. The world needs more creatives, and supporting that next generation is an important part of my mission.
