Rory Gevis in her studio.
Palm Beach Cottages & Gardens’ Winter 2025 issue features a cockatoo painted by Rory Gevis.
A regal peacock, commissioned by Palm Beach Cottages & Gardens.
A jeweled lizard, commissioned by Palm Beach Cottages & Gardens.
A portrait of a family with their pets and toys.
A dog sitting amongst a potpourri of prints and patterns.
Rory Gevis is a New York-based painter known for her soulful, narrative-driven portraiture.
Palm Beach Cottages & Gardens commissioned Gevis to create original works, including this issue’s cover: an exotic cockatoo sitting on a rattan chair; a lounging lizard sunning poolside; and a majestic peacock, perched on the arm of a sofa. All are bejeweled in dramatic necklaces. It was a wonderfully creative collaboration!
Before painting full-time, Gevis spent years shaping visual worlds, as Style Director at W and House & Garden, and later as Executive Creative at MAC cosmetics. Her background in fashion, interiors and beauty informs her portraiture: the way a hand rests on fabric; how a room can speak volumes; how color tells a story. Working from photographs and conversations, she often incorporates personal elements like textiles, heirlooms, and architectural details. The results are Fauve-like portraits that feel timeless, personal, and one of a kind. Each painting is layered with intimacy, memory, and the quiet glamour of a life well-lived.
“I paint custom portraits with a wink of glamour and a strong sense of place: families, pets, and interiors that feel lived-in, loved, and a little bit larger than life.”