“I am turning forty this week and I am so grateful that I get to celebrate another year of living. I think forty is a good age to start a section in my newsletter called “Musings from Steph”. Musing seems like a forty-year-old thing to do, so with that being said, here are my musings from the studio this week…”

This summer I will be embarking on a new chapter, which will be exhibiting at art fairs in the midwest. I decided to pursue this option last fall and have spent the year applying, prepping, and learning about the world of art fairs. The ones I chose are all in the midwest and I am excited about my upcoming schedule of events.

I will be bringing work from several different series with me including my newest series, A Walk With Water. Here is a list of the fairs and a little more about each one. I hope to see you at one of the fairs!

When I have collectors purchase a print or painting their next question is usually, “Where do I go to get it framed?” You can check out my framing guide on my website which offers some DIY framing tips but I also wanted to offer you a list of 5 online framers that you will love. And if you are looking for some artwork to frame you can visit my print shop here.

If you are like me, you are always looking for new podcasts to listen to. Here are 9 podcasts for artists and art lovers to accompany you while you paint, clean the studio, finish those taxes, etc.

This past weekend, I taught a class called Meditative Stain Painting (I will post more about that soon!) and one of the artists in the class asked me for a list of ways to nurture creativity. I thought of a few answers but I wanted to dig into this topic a bit more here on my blog. I have found that the ways I nurture creativity are also the ways I find a feeling of “home” or belonging. I thought I would connect the two for you here and hope that they offer you some inspiration.

My newest collection has been released and is available for purchase! This series was created in the first half of 2022 when I was preparing to move from Shanghai back to America after five years of being abroad. This experience helped to shape me as a person and artist. In this same spirit, this series is about two things - the way places form us and also the things that keep us grounded as we move through change. Some of these grounding activities for me include observing the natural world, focusing on everyday activities, and taking walks near bodies of water.

I hope the first few days of 2023 have been treating you well. This time of year is always a little tricky for me because it feels like an in-between place. It reminds me of weekend mornings when you wonder if you should get out of bed and conquer the day or just stay under the covers and enjoy some more rest. Despite the weird vibes, I am looking forward to welcoming “things that have never been" as Rilke said in the above quote.

I will be releasing a new body of work at the end of the month called Fleeting, Flowing, Flying. This series was created while I was preparing to move from Shanghai back to America after five years of being abroad. This experience helped to shape me as a person and artist. In this same spirit, this series is about the way places form us, especially those centered around bodies of water. I can't wait to show them to you.

Join me for the two-day workshop, Meditative Stain Painting, at Art and Literature Lab in Madison, WI. You will learn the meditative and mindful flow of “stain” painting by exploring a variety of tools, applications, and media.

This process is playful, full of surprises, and is often affiliated with mindful painting because of the way it collaborates with “chance.” It is a great workshop to enter the new year, focusing on intuition and thoughtfulness.

I will be exhibiting one of my paintings at this group exhibition at the Charles Allis Art Museum. For the duration of this exhibition, the museum will be changing its name to the Sarah Ball Allis Art Museum to honor the wife of Charles Allis. This is also the name of the exhibition.

SARAH BALL ALLIS ART MUSEUM

Exhibition Dates: January 26, 2023 - June 11, 2023

Opening Reception: January 26th from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: 1801 N. Prospect Ave. Milwaukee, WI

Click on this link to visit the museum website

Join me this week for my website launch, giveaways, and to shop my first painting collection release since being back in the USA.