Tag Archives: memories

Apr11

Lake Michigan Series: An Artist’s Statement

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In Michigan, growing up is very much about “the lake.” Memories of childhood are deeply ingrained with details of time spent on the shores of our jewel, Lake Michigan. Summers spent camping on the beach with Grandma and Grandpa and Mom and Dad. Two older brothers, equal parts tormenters and protectors, alternately teasing relentlessly and shielding me from the largest waves. It all runs together, and it’s summed up with a smile.

That magic does not fade with age. Lake Michigan has the power to take one’s breath away every time. That lake seems to do something to the setting sun that is a spectacular visual feast; it truly leaves its admirers breathless.

It is in that spirit that I’m exploring, with paint, the place where the sky meets the lake at the horizon, and all the many ways the sun transforms this into something different every day as the light bounces around the landscape. It is very much a study of what paint can do, and it is deeply tied to memory. I hope you add your own memories to this series, and together we can be transported to that magical place through art any time we desire.

Click here to view the Lake Michigan Series on my website. 

Aug14

Painting of the Week: “A Conversation in San Marco”

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“An evening stroll in Venice’s Piazza San Marco is a feast for the senses. The parade of humanity could occupy even the hardest to please people watchers.

“Piazza San Marco may be the only place in the world where pigeons are revered — treated like kings, in fact — and there is great amusement in the observation of the humans interacting with these birds.

“Dueling orchestras merge to produce a sensory symphony that goes beyond just the ears as the music, mixed with the dream-like setting, seems to vibrate the listener’s soul.

“In all of its past and present grandeur, the Cafe Florian stands proud among the many eateries and sees the comings and goings of many in a day, all there to soak up some of its history, hoping to be as inspired as its famous artists, writers and philosophers from another time.

“The architecture — ah, the grand, almost hauntingly beautiful architecture, the arches, curves and details of which become a part of my dreaming. Along with the people, it’s the architecture that is most captivating to me, and which is the inspiration for this piece.

“Who is the man engrossed in conversation near the lower middle right? And the woman to his left: What might her story be? They appear to be chatting with members of their party whom we can’t see. It is from this image that the title of this work came from. There is a girl in the lower left, drinking from a glass — or maybe she’s a woman; it’s hard to tell. Either way, she’s frozen in time in this moment, in this image.

“The orchestra is playing under the white canopy, but we can only imagine the music. The faces change daily, but the cafes always are filled with people in conversation. The unmistakable repetitive arches of San Marco take up a majority of the image, and serve as a backdrop to the people. My paint either covers or highlights what is most interesting to me about the image while honoring memory. Memory is changed by time, mood and personal history, as this photograph has been altered by me, and then again by you, when you view it, making your own assumptions and finding the details that most interest you.”

“A Conversation in San Marco”

Size: 16 x 20 x 2
Medium: Painted-over photograph/mixed media

To purchase Stephanie’s artwork, click here.