BIO, ARTIST STATEMENT, CV, and CREATIVE PROCESS

BIO

Award-winning and international-selling artist Stefanie Stark creates abstract paintings that are simultaneously bold and colorful yet soft and serene. Inspired primarily by nature, Stefanie expresses herself through intuitive brushstrokes as she applies layer upon layer of acrylic paint on canvas. Purposeful drips and oil pastel or pencil marks create texture and contrast between mediums. Through her work, Stefanie feels a connection to her late mother, who regularly arranged fresh flowers for their home.

A native of Washington, D.C., Stefanie was always surrounded by original art at home and in museums. By age nine she knew she wanted to be an artist. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and art fairs regionally and nationally. Her paintings are part of private and corporate collections throughout the United States and abroad. Stefanie now lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her family and works from a home studio.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My art explores themes of nature and lifecycle, beauty and strength, love and loss, and joy and sorrow. Sometimes longing and wonder are at play, while at other times whimsical elements emerge as if from a dreamlike story.

Aiming to find contentment between life’s highs and challenges, I create to let go, to replenish and to instill optimism and delight. I am inspired by beauty in the natural world despite the fact that nature can be merciless. There is no bending the rules – all species must grow, transform and eventually die. But a decaying flower can be as awe-inspiring to me as one in its prime. Thankfully, nature offers softness and splendor that is always there if and when we look for it.

My painting process involves a sort of conversation with the emerging artwork. I combine my feminine disposition, a loose intuitive approach and intentional mark-making throughout this dialogue, all the while adding and taking away various elements in the work. Eventually, I come to a place where there is resolution and contentment in the piece.

Through my work, I feel an intangible spirituality that acknowledges inner strength and imperfect beauty. Hopefully my art catches and holds viewers for a moment in which they get lost and experience something new.

ARTIST CV

EXHIBITIONS

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019 Dreaming in Flowers, Industrious, Betheda, MD

ART FAIRS

2021 The Palm Beach Show, FL

2020 Hamptons Virtual Art Fair

2020 Art Palm Beach, FL

2019 Superfine!, Washington, DC

SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2021 Garden Party, Latela Curatorial, Washington, DC

2021 Abstract Sanctuary, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

2020 Teeny Tiny Trifecta, Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville , VA

2020 Bloom & Grow: Brilliant Botanicals, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Solomons, MD

2019 Introspections, Capital One Headquarters, McLean, VA

2019 The Nature of Art, Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

2019 Color Forward, The Workroom Gallery,

Washington, DC

2019 Melody of Art, Washington Caucus of Art,

Bethesda, MD

2019 February Showcase, La Collection Gallery,

Bethesda, MD

2018 Art x Arts, La Collection Gallery, Bethesda, MD

2018 Female Perspectives, The Cooley Gallery,

Leesburg, VA

2018 Paint the Town, Montgomery Art Association, Kensington, MD

2018 Stormy Weather, Curve Gallery, Annapolis, MD

2018 Flowers, Plants & Gardens, Art-Competition.net online gallery

2018 Creative Expressions, Montgomery Art Association Member Show, Chevy Chase, MD

2018 Golden, Art Impact International, Washington, DC

2018 Real Art on a Shoestring, La Collection Gallery, Bethesda, MD

2018 March150, Target Gallery, Alexandria, VA

2017 Spring Art Show, Sheridan School, Washington, DC

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

2021 Selected for the book Wild Lands published by Jen Tough Gallery, out summer 2021

2021 Featured in DC Modern Luxury Magazine

2020 Featured in Bluebird City magazine

2020 Podcast Interview: The Left Brain Artist

2018 Second Place, Creative Expressions, Montgomery Art Association, Chevy Chase MD

2018 Honorable Mention, Flowers, Plants & Gardens, Art-Competition.net

2018 Featured in Thalia Magazine

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Member, Judging Panel

St. Andrew's Episcopal School Art Show, 2019

Member, Judging Panel

Spring Valley Student Art Exhibition, 2019

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Works held in private collections throughout the United States and abroad.

MEMBERSHIPS

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

MEMBERSHIPS

Art2Life Academy

Maryland Federation of Art

Montgomery Art Association

Thrive Studio Mastermind

Women’s Caucus for Art, Washington, DC Chapter

CREATIVE PROCESS

Intuitive Painter

I paint intuitively, which means I don’t start with a plan but let my mood, feelings, and thoughts guide my creative process. It’s always interesting because I never know how a painting will end up. I am basically having a constant conversation with the artwork I’m creating. Honestly, it’s like being with a loved one - I can get mad at the painting and it can be annoying, but it can also be the only one to really listen and respond to my tough questions or help me process thoughts. And then there’s just plain having fun together. Is that a little woo woo? Possibly!

Pictured left, detail of Wildflower Dreams, 40 x 30 inches, acrylic and pencil on canvas.

Color and Shape

Color and color combinations are fundamental to my work. Surrounding us in every setting, color itself is a source of inspiration for me. I am constantly taking note (and photos) of colors and color palettes that strike me. When beginning a painting, I usually have a color or two in mind I know I want to work with. The rest flows from there.

Pictured right, detail of Water Garden, 48 x 36 inches, acrylic on canvas.

Nature

Nature and in particular flowers, are important to me and my work. I am fascinated by their beauty and delicacy, which sometimes takes my breath away. I also marvel at the life stages of flowers and plants, finding beauty even as they wilt and decompose. Other elements like sunshine, wind, water and clouds also influence me, especially when blending colors and creating shapes on the canvas.

Pictured left, detail of Strong Beautiful Pink, 24 x 30 inches, acrylic on canvas.