Saturday, December 20, 2014

DASH the chiweenie







click on image to enlarge

image size: 9-1/2 x 11-1/2 inches

DASH





This is a watercolor done from a photograph.  One of the most important things to keep in mind when working from photos is to try to capture the personality of the pet.   I don't want to end up with a painting that looks like a photograph or looks like I tried to copy a photograph.  The personality is there and it is my job to let it shine through!

Before I begin the painting, I do a detailed drawing from the photograph.  This is an essential part of the process.  It helps me identify contours and shadows when I begin the painting.














more art coming soon...

Sunday, December 14, 2014

WINTER ART SHOW & SALE






click on image to enlarge
watercolor and mixed media
image size: 15 x 30 inches


STREAMS OF LIFE
NORTH CAROLINA'S
40,000 miles of
creeks and rivers


STREAMS OF LIFE is now available as a fine art print. The prints are made using archival fade resistant inks on acid free paper and each is hand signed by the artist.  Price: $75 each (unframed).  Framing is available.  For purchasing information, please email me:  sots11@hotmail.com     

 



(click on image to enlarge)

detail




more art coming soon...

WINTER ART SHOW & SALE




click on image to enlarge

wall sculpture in 3 separate pieces
mixed media and found objects
size: 11 x 36 inches

$695



Eye of the Cave



more art coming soon...

Thursday, December 11, 2014

WINTER ART SHOW & SALE






(click on image to enlarge)
acrylic with mixed media on board
framed - 17-1/4" x 21-1/4"
$275


Heart Chakra







(click on image to enlarge)
watercolor
image size:  approx. 11" x 11"
matted and framed (w/glass)
17-1/4 x 17-1/2 inches

$275


Treasure Beneath My Feet





more art coming soon...

Monday, December 8, 2014

WINTER ART SHOW & SALE





click on image to enlarge
mixed media with watercolor
image size: 14 x 14 inches
framed size: 22 x 22 inches
black mat with brushed metal frame (antique bronze)
& glass

$295


Duality



more art coming soon...

Saturday, December 6, 2014

WINTER ART SHOW & SALE



click on image to enlarge

mixed media with watercolor
framed size:  9-1/4 x 9-1/4 inches
$140
OPEN HEARTS



Open Hearts is a numbered series of mixed media works that I started making as a personal response to the tragic events of 9/11.


click on images to enlarge




















more art coming soon...



Friday, December 5, 2014

WINTER ART SHOW & SALE 2014



click on image to enlarge

image size:  8 x 6 inches
framed size: 12 x 11 inches
watercolor and guache
$225

Winter Memories
in an

antique frame




more art coming soon...






Wednesday, December 3, 2014

'Tis the SEASON OF THE SOUL...


 Recently I was contacted by a woman who lives in California.  She told me that she had something that belongs to me...

About twenty or so years ago, I was vacationing in Provincetown, MA, a small tourist town at the tip of Cape Cod. I was on cloud nine because a gift shop there (Womencrafts) had just accepted my Seasons of the Soul prints to sell. I had left some prints with the clerk to show the store owner.  Someone from the store called me at the b and b I was staying to give me the good news.  I remember running down the street to the store like Forrest Gump!  When I got to the shop and walked in the door, the clerk was just handing a customer one of my prints that had just sold!  This account would turn out to be a phenomenal sales source for me over the next several years.

Back to the story... A woman who was staying at the same b and b offered to help try to find me a store to sell them on the west coast.  She was from California.  When I got back home, I packed up some prints and shipped them to her.  She wasn't able to find a store.  I remember her contacting me to say she was moving and she was leaving the prints with a friend.  After that I lost track of the prints and chalked them up as a lost cause.  

It turns out, the friend with whom she left my prints, passed away back in 1997.  A friend of hers ended up with them and when recently, she was cleaning out some old things, she came across them and looked me up on the internet.

I was so touched that she had kept them safe and secure all these years.  When I mentioned the cost of shipping them, she offered to pay for the shipping, saying it was something she wanted to do.  She said she had one of the Seasons of the Soul prints hanging in her home and had enjoyed it for many years.

The packages were delivered today.  Two large boxes containing fifty prints in mailing tubes and eight matted and shrink wrapped.  The box with the eight matted ones was the original box I had shipped them in.  I could see my handwriting on it.  I opened it and pulled out one of the matted prints that I had last touched over twenty years ago.  It was kind of like opening a time capsule.  I can't believe I sent so many prints!  I must have been out of my mind with optimism!  And to think they would have been returned to me more than two decades  later in the same condition I sent them out...


But since Seasons of the Soul has taken on a life of its own over the years, it gets some of the credit in this story.  And I want to share the love with a special offer for the holidays for those who like to share the print as a meaningful gift.



'Tis the SEASON OF THE SOU
SPECIAL OFFER

25% OFF!!!
Hand signed SEASONS OF THE SOUL prints

$30 
(regularly $40 each)

 free shipping within the continental US
shipped in mailing tube

sale ends Dec. 12th


click on image to enlarge
Seasons of the Soul
image size:  29 x 7 inches approx.



Contact me for purchase information.   My email:
sots11@hotmail.com

I use paypal for online purchases.

Please let me know if you prefer another method of payment.



Sunday, November 30, 2014

PET'S EYES PORTRAITS




Over the past several weeks since I announced the beginning of the new series, I have been trying to figure out how to come up with an offering for those who wish to have a watercolor portrait done of their pet's eyes.  

My neighbor Bob, who owns Isabelhelped me to see how powerful the image of the eyes of the beloved pet can be to the owner of that pet.

I had shown Bob the first pet's eyes painting of my sweet cat, Boo.  I mentioned my interest in doing a painting of Isabel's beautiful eyes.  He indicated a desire to purchase it when it was finished.  So when it was done, I took a photo of it and emailed it to him while he was at work. His response was "I love this.  Has your artwork ever made anyone cry before?  Because it happened just now.  Those are the eyes I imprinted on 12 years ago, and now I know I will always have them... you captured something that doesn't come across in photos.  Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.  You are the new trend in animal portraiture!"

I matted and framed the painting for him.



click on image to enlarge

framed size: 13 x 20 inches approx.


For those who are interested in having a Pet's Eyes Portrait of their beloved pet, the cost is $275 matted and framed.  The cost for the painting unframed is $195 (matting included).

Shipping is free within the continental US.  One of the key factors in creating a successful pet's eyes portrait is providing me with a good high resolution photo of the pet's eyes.  Please allow 3 to 4 weeks for completion.







Sunday, November 9, 2014

A Dog Named River




Recently I received a request to do a drawing by a vet tech who works for a local veterinarian.  The vet had taken in a dog that had serious heath issues.  The vet adopted the dog and gave it the special care it needed to survive.  When the dog did finally pass away, the people who work at the office took up a collection to have a drawing made of the beloved pet.




"River"
image size: 9 x 11 inches

click on image to enlarge

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Callie's Eyes




watercolor

image size: 6-1/2 x 13 inches


click on image to enlarge



 Callie is a sweet dog whose owners I do not know, but they were kind enough to let me photograph her for my series.

I am still in need of good photographs of pet's faces so I can continue my series...  Photographs made at high resolution and in natural light (but not direct sunlight) are what I am looking for.  Also, I need the pet to be looking directly at the camera (or whoever is taking the photo) so I can get the image of looking directly into the eyes of the animal.

Thanks everyone for your help!

Monday, October 13, 2014

Isabel's Eyes




watercolor and mixed media
size: 6 x 13 inches

click on image to enlarge


Isabel is a beautiful calico cat that belongs to my neighbor, Bob.  She has amazing iridescent eyes that change color depending on the light, varying from green to blue green opals.

I need photos of your pets to help me continue this series!!! NOTE:  I prefer images with the pet looking directly into the camera.  It is helpful to have more than one photo for reference.

Please email me photos of your pet's face.  I need good images of animals' faces that I can zoom in on and use for reference to create more paintings for my series.  If I choose your pet photo to make a painting, you will have first option to purchase the original at a special price.  You are not obligated to purchase. My email:  sots11@hotmail.com


Thank you for your help!

ANNOUNCING A NEW SERIES!!!

Why do artists work in series?  One of the biggest advantages to working in a series is to create a unified and cohesive body of work.  Over the many years of making art, I have explored a variety of different mixed media methods and techniques.  Last fall there was a showing of my work that included various works that I had created over the years and I noticed that many people were somewhat surprised that one artist had created so many different works.  Fortunately the show included a number of pieces from my mixed media series, "Open Hearts".   The "Open Hearts" helped bring continuity to the exhibit.

The whole experience got me to thinking about starting a new series.  I still continue to make "Open Hearts", the numbered series of mixed media works I started in 2001 as a deeply felt reaction to the tragedy of 9/11.  I am up to #237 in the series.

But I wanted something new... something fresh and invigorating.  How do I follow a series that has endured for over a decade?  A series, for me, is a journey that I become fully immersed.  I am a seeker looking for something meaningful and perhaps I will become enlightened and transformed along the way...








Monday, September 22, 2014

Bella's Eyes



Recently I was trying to come up with ideas for a brochure to advertise my new service, pet portraits.  I wanted something eye catching on the cover...   

Then I remembered, it's all about the eyes!  I decided I needed some images of dog's eyes for reference.  I found Bella visiting at a friends' home...  Funny thing, the painting looks so much better than the photos I took!



"Bella"
watercolor and mixed media
image size: 12 x 5-1/2 inches

framing is available
click on image to enlarge



I am excited about this new series!  Just a few weeks ago, I was asking the muses to lead me to an inspiration for a new series of artwork.  I am struck by how focusing on the eyes seems to accent the individuality of the animal.  Looking into the "windows of the soul", one sees something more...  I am hooked!








Saturday, September 20, 2014

In Their Eyes We Can See...



something so true...


"Boo"

©2014 Stephanie E. Robinson
watercolor
image size: 12 x 6 inches approx.
click on image to enlarge


Recently, I delivered the watercolor portrait of Lucy and her owner said I had captured her eyes wonderfully.  Something clicked when she said that.  It confirmed what I already knew... It's all about the eyes!!!

Well, one thing led to another and I had an inspiration for a new series!  This is the first of a series of pet's eyes and fittingly I have started the series with my own sweet boy, Boo.

I will be posting more details in the coming week about a special offer for pet owners!

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Lucy the labradoodle




This a watercolor painting of Lucy.  The Persian rug made the painting more challenging but I think it made an interesting composition.  The client was very pleased.



Lucy
watercolor
image size: 14 x 17 inches (approx.)
click on image to enlarge



Monday, August 4, 2014

Pet Portraits







"Winston"
image size:  14 x 17 inches approx.
click on image to enlarge


Pet portraits are now available as pencil drawings or watercolor.  This is a Timeline Montage of a boxer named Winston.  The client provided me with photographs to work from.

If you are interested in a pet portrait, please email me for more information.  I will be happy to discuss the possibilities.  

Sunday, July 6, 2014

STREAMS OF LIFE ~ Inspiration from the Source

In 2007-2008 there was a severe drought in our beautiful state of North Carolina.  For anyone who loves nature, it was heartbreaking to witness...

Fish gasping for breath in puddles where streams once flowed... Plants withering and dying, lakes drained leaving eerie cracked dried mud mosaics...

For a while, at least, people were becoming aware of how vital clean water is to the survival of all living things.  Mandatory water restrictions were imposed on individuals and families, while many companies and corporate industries blithely continued their unbridled use of the dwindling water supply.

My soul ached for the suffering of the plants and wildlife and I felt a deep seeded need to do something.  "Go to the water for answers" is the wisdom offered by Native American traditions. I followed that guidance to an ancient valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains near where I grew up.  Centuries ago this picturesque valley was regarded as sacred hunting grounds by the Cherokee people.  A beautiful stream flows through the valley passing by pastures and farms on its way to join the magnificent Tuckasegee River.

The valley is also home to an ancient boulder carved with mysterious lines and symbols.  It is known as Judaculla Rock.  The name is derived from a Cherokee myth about a terrifying giant that once roamed the area.  Although many have studied the markings on the rock, including archeologists and Native American historians, no one can interpret the meaning.  Many believe that the origin dates back thousands of years to ancestors of the Cherokee and the site is still considered sacred ground by the Cherokee people.  My Dad first took me to see it as a child.  It captured my imagination forever.  Perhaps it sowed the seeds for future inspiration that led to creating the symbol language to form Seasons of the Soul.







It was a beautiful spring day.  After I stopped by the sacred rock to pay my respects, I continued on the winding road that paralleled the stream. I followed the road as it wound up the mountain.  Higher and higher I went, past the end of the paved surface and onto the gravel road into the Nantahala National Forest.  Nantahala is derived from a Cherokee word meaning "Land of the Noonday Sun" because many of the valleys and gorges are so deep that the sun only reaches the bottom in midday.  To my right, the mountainside rose steeply upward, thick with forest and  boulders covered in moss and lichens.  To my left, the sheer drop off was unnerving as I peered over the edge of the road to see the stream tumbling down the mountain.  I was hoping if I continued on, I could find the source of the spring. 

Just below the top of the mountain, the road leveled out and I crossed a bridge over the stream.  Past the bridge there was a large standing stone, 8 or 9 feet tall!  It reminded me of the standing stones I had seen in Ireland.  Standing stones were erected by the ancient Celts to mark the sites of sacred wells and other powerful places with sacred meaning.  This resonated with me as I am aware of both Celtic and Cherokee ancestry.  Immediately I thought, this is an ancient sacred place, no doubt.







 In front of me was a natural rock alcove in the mountainside. A rock ledge formed a roof with trees growing on top.  The walls were blackened...  How many thousands of years had this ancient grotto sheltered the sacred ritual fires of medicine men and women of the past?









I explored the area sketching and photographing, I could feel the magic and enchantment of the place...  I began to imagine an ancient ancestor, a great great great great ... grandmother.  Perhaps she was a powerful shaman and seer.  She could look down the stream of DNA and see future generations and even send messages to them.  She knew I would be coming here with on a quest for guidance.  She could see me and beyond.  
What powerful visions did she see?  What is the message for me?







Click on images to enlarge



Before long I was scampering around like a kid looking for a hidden treasure.  As I searched nooks and crannies, I felt a little foolish but exhilarated all the same.  And then it occurred to me, if this ancient ancestor did have a message for me, it would most likely come in the form of a vision or a dream.  Stranger things have happened so I decided to just flow with it.


As I walked around the large standing stone I happened to notice a little trail that disappeared into a laurel thicket.  I found that it led to a small opening in the forest canopy where two streams meet.  One stream wrapped around the left shoulder of the mountain and and the other wrapped around the right shoulder like a necklace.  Where the two streams met was a pointy rock like the bow of the ship overlooking the combined stream as it tumbled down the mountain. 

I stepped up on the rock where the two streams met and immediately I could feel the energy.  I steadied myself by grasping a tree that grew out of the base of the rock. I thought of all those who had stood here before me back through the ages.  The water is the life blood of the land and all living things.  How could we have forgotten?  How could we have become so distanced from our Mother Earth?  I closed my eyes and I was flying high above the mountains below.  And for an instant I could see all the streams that ran together to form the larger streams that fed the rivers...  I was struck by the resemblance to the veins and arteries that carry the blood through my own body.  I could see the finished painting in a flash, and it was phenomenal...  THIS is what I am supposed to create! THIS is the answer to the question in my heart.

At the time, I had no idea what I was getting into.  I did not realize that this artwork would be so involved to create that it would take over the next year and half of my life...  

The next day, I bought a typographical atlas of the state.  I looked at all the streams... and I realized that in order to create what I had seen in the vision, I would need to use tracing paper and trace all the rivers and then reduce and refresh the lines several times to get it to a size that would fit on the sheet of watercolor paper.

I became obsessed with the project... or I would have never gotten it done.  I lost track of how many hours I put into it but I know it was over a thousand hours...  tracing the streams from every square inch of the atlas, night after night.  It was like a meditation in a way...  While I worked on it I prayed for the rains to return.  By the time the painting was finished, the drought had ended...  




click on image to enlarge

image size: 15 x 30 inches


STREAMS OF LIFE
NORTH CAROLINA'S
40,000 miles of
creeks and rivers



Fine art prints are now available.  The prints are made using archival fade resistant inks on acid free paper and each is hand signed by the artist.  Price: $75 each (unframed).  Framing is available.  For purchasing information, please email me:  sots11@hotmail.com    

 
click on image to enlarge
Detail





 My intention with this artwork was not to create a map but something more... to spread awareness by helping people to see that water is the life blood of a living system.  We urgently need to band together to protect this most vital natural, public resource from toxic chemicals from fracking.

We can all start by learning about fracking and its effects in other states with poisoned ground water, cancer causing toxins, and harm to wildlife...and then there is the earthquakes.   We must stand up for the future generations.  We must share this responsibility... all of us.


   
    
  



Wednesday, July 2, 2014

OPEN HEART ~ #237




click on image to enlarge



  There is something very Zen about fishing... I think.  Especially fly fishing.  There is definitely an art to it.  Just as there is to the hand tied flies that they use.  When I was growing up, my dad was a fly fisherman.  I always thought there was something mystical about it.  He would get up and leave before dawn.  He was very quiet and careful not to wake anyone up.  He would get his gear together the night before so he could just get up and go... and be there in the river as the sun was coming up... what a beautiful place to be, regardless of whether or not you catch a fish?  




Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Open Heart

I just finished another special request Open Heart... It turned out nice I thought.  And the patron seemed very pleased...  I think I will make some more Open Hearts!  


Click on image to enlarge

Thursday, May 8, 2014

SEASONS OF THE SOUL - the story

click on image to enlarge



When I was a small child, my mother would give me pencil and paper to keep me occupied. I began teaching myself to draw about same time I was learning to walk and talk.

One day, years ago, I was in my early twenties at the time, and I picked up a sketch book of mine and flipped through the pages.  I noticed several little stick figure doodles scattered throughout the pages.  They seemed to be connected somehow.  So I drew them again together in a line and I was amazed by what I saw.  They seemed to be telling a story.  At the time there were ten figures.  Each one appeared to represent a different emotional stage in a process.  Somehow I knew there needed to be at least one more figure.  I did not know what that figures or figures would be.  But I knew I could not force it.  I had to let it come to me just like the rest of the figure symbols in the progression.  I happened to be watching a television program one day and there was a dancer in motion.  When she struck a particular pose for an instant, that image crystallized in my mind's eye.  That led me to creating the final figure in the artwork I later titled, SEASONS OF THE SOUL.

SEASONS OF THE SOUL came to me during a time of personal crisis and transformation.  Through my pain and confusion, I was somehow allowed to connect to the wellspring of the human soul... to create something with universal meaning yet as intimately personal as one's own heartbeat.

Over the years since it was published as a hand signed lithograph, Seasons of the Soul has touched the lives of thousands of people who have experienced their own personal struggles and challenges.

The print is available for $40 with free shipping.  Please contact me by email and I will send you a paypal funds request.  Also, I can personalize it, "For _____" when I sign it.



Click HERE to view SEASONS OF THE SOUL video slideshow









Saturday, April 5, 2014

EQUINOX ART SHOW & SALE




Wild horses occupy a special place in the human psyche... They represent freedom, wildness, strength, and grace.  And they have always been one of my favorite subjects.


click on image to enlarge
watercolor
image size: 13 x 8-1/2 in. approx.
$120 (unframed)

 (framed w/mat & glass)
$195


Misty Morning Run