Mission Statement
My mission as an artist is to create a dialogue between movement and stillness, discipline and release, resilience and surrender allowing each canvas to echo the complexity of the body’s story. I strive to capture the sacred essence of who we are beneath the surface.
The Person Behind the Work
Stephanie Stone is a 41-year-old acrylic painter, whose creative practice is deeply rooted in embodiment. Grounded by the discipline of strength training and the mindfulness of yoga, she approaches the canvas with the same presence and intention she brings to movement. Her experience as both a muse and an artist has shaped her understanding of the female form, not just as subject, but as a sacred temple. Her creative journey began in her adolescence but flourished in adulthood as she embraced her own body’s evolution and story. She creates layered, expressive compositions that blend abstract symbolism with figurative clarity.
With every stroke of acrylic laid upon the canvas, more than color emerges. Stephanie unveils fragments of the soul. Each layer a quiet witness to the human journey, a reflection of the seasons we weather, the storms we survive, and the beauty that rises from within. Her canvas transforms into a mirror, reflecting the sacred layers we all carry: strength and softness, joy and sorrow, stillness and fire.
The female figure in her work stands as a symbol of resilience. A vessel of emotion, endurance, and grace. Gold accents and textured depths become quiet meditations on what it means to move through transformation. Stephanie’s technique is a ritual with each stroke breathing life into the memories that linger, the scars etched by heartbreak, the quiet unfolding of healing, the unseen growth, and the tender space between letting go and becoming. Honoring not only physical beauty but the emotional depth within us all.
Behind the scenes
My work begins with observational studies during life drawing sessions, using photographs taken from when I model for these classes. The images become the foundation for my paintings, where I explore the expressive potential of the female form.
On canvas, I start by sketching the figure in a loose, gestural style, capturing the essence of the pose. Using a brush, I build up the initial layers of paint, focusing on light and shadow. Once the composition is established, I transition to using a palette knife, applying thick, textured layers of paint to create movement and depth.
Using the female form as my vessel, each curve becomes an ode to our capacity to bend without breaking, to radiate grace in chaos, to embody both softness and power. I layer paint as we layer each experience in life, each stroke a season, each texture a truth. My art is a reflection of our inner landscapes ever-shifting while being deeply rooted and powerfully alive.
By combining delicate brushwork with bold impasto layers applied by palette knife, I create a dynamic tension between detailed form and expressive texture. This approach captures the grace of the female figure while also embracing a more abstract, emotional quality. Through this method, the painting becomes a space where clarity meets chaos. The figure emerges from and interacts with the textured, unpredictable world around it.