<\/p>\n
\u201cNot the Hope, but the Knowing\u201d is an oil painting by Kayla DeVito. It is one of three of the local artists\u2019 paintings that could be featured in an upcoming episode of \u2018Law & Order: SUV.\u2019<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Kayla DeVito<\/p>\n
Beaufort<\/p>\n
Across the street from Kayla DeVito\u2019s<\/a> Beaufort home, the marsh swells with water covering the dry pluff mud and oyster beds.<\/p>\n Every day, the self-taught artist watches as the undertones of the Lowcountry landscape completely change. A bright pink morning sky could quickly shift to dark gray with an impending spring storm. Green palm fronds darken and deepen as the sun lowers in the sky. A backlight makes everything a little bit yellow.<\/p>\n She calls it a \u201ctreat to the senses.\u201d<\/p>\n The shifting hues that fill DeVito\u2019s windows have been the inspiration for her oil paintings. Since ordering her first $12 set of paint in 2021, her moody Lowcountry landscapes have garnered a significant following, capturing the attention of more than 47,000 followers on social media<\/a>.<\/p>\n But this week, her work will appear on the big screen for millions to see.<\/p>\n One of her original oil paintings and two prints are part of the set design on Thursday\u2019s episode of \u2018Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,\u2019 the popular NBC series centering around two New York City police detectives who investigate sex crimes, child abuse and domestic violence. The art will likely appear on one of the characters\u2019 walls, DeVito said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure how many are actually going to end up on TV,\u201d DeVito said, \u201cbut either way, it\u2019s just cool experience. I\u2019m thrilled.\u201d<\/p>\n It all started with a simple direct message from one of the show\u2019s set designers, who discovered her artwork in an online home decor group, DeVito said. At first, she assumed it was a scam, but after some digging, she found out the ask was legitimate.<\/p>\n Still, it doesn\u2019t feel real, DeVito said.<\/p>\n For years, her life was defined by crisis. She lives with late-stage Lyme disease, a chronic illness that can make even driving a challenge some days, she said. Her mother is also battling breast cancer for the fourth time, she said.<\/p>\n In 2020, her family decided to pour their savings into Amidst the Alders \u2014 a Beaufort retail storefront that has since closed \u2014 on the very day that the national COVID-19 emergency was declared. Left with a store filled with unsold inventory and the weight of uncertainty, DeVito was struggling.<\/p>\n But instead, she decided to live differently.<\/p>\n She was always creative, but feared the pencil. Drawing was too analytical, detailed and measured, she said. She decided to experiment with moving paint around a canvas, watching videos online to learn more about technique. The process was freeing and joyful, not rigid.<\/p>\n Her passion soon became profitable. At her first art show in Beaufort, she sold all 46 paintings on display, she said. Now, she is able to paint full-time to support her family.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime I\u2019m packing up artwork, I\u2019m just very grateful,\u201d DeVito said. \u201cI live in that gratitude. For every single sale, I\u2019m extremely grateful, whether it\u2019s a $20 sale or a $2,000 sale, it doesn\u2019t matter. I\u2019m grateful the same, regardless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have ever felt an inkling to create something, you are a creative person,\u201d DeVito said. \u201cAnd you need art, just like eating or breathing, or exercising. You need that outlet … If you have ever felt the calling to create, please do it. Don\u2019t ignore it like I did for so many years.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 2:36 PM.<\/p>\n Kayla DeVito, a local Beaufort artist, will have three of her art pieces featured in an upcoming episode of \u201cLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit.\u201d Courtesy of Kayla DeVito <\/p>\n
\u201cNot the Hope, but the Knowing\u201d is an oil painting by Kayla DeVito. It is one of three of the local artists\u2019 paintings that could be featured in an upcoming episode of \u2018Law & Order: SVU.\u2019 Courtesy of Kayla DeVito <\/p>\n
\u201cPerfect Silence\u201d by Kayla DeVito, a local Beaufort artist. Courtesy of Kayla DeVito <\/p>\n
\u201cDifference of Perspective\u201d by Kayla DeVito, a local Beaufort artist. Courtesy of Kayla DeVito <\/p>\n
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