Steph was that kid who wanted nothing but to be an artist when she grew up, but quit
making art just after completing high school. "I grew up believing that artists were
starving and depressed. Somebody fed me that terrible lie, and I believed it." In 2015
Steph gave herself permission to start making art again, and jumped in with both feet.
She opened a studio, started offering art lessons to children and adults and quickly
became active in the community partnering with Lakehead University, The Orillia Public
Library & The City of Orillia to offer social art experiences that were accessible to
everyone.
"The experience of being an art instructor has been instrumental in my own practice and
self discovery as I've forced myself to break down each and every stage of my personal
art making. As a person who works primarily from instinct as opposed to learned
methods, this has taught me to question my work, scrutinize my methods and work far
outside of my usual areas of comfort. I have dabbled in abstracts, landscapes, florals
and illustrations working with images from nature and stories from my imagination."
Currently, Steph is wrapping up a collection of 12" x 12" paintings that will be available
for purchase early December. "This is the first time I have made a collection available
since my 2019 exhibition at The Orillia museum of Art and History and I'm really
excited."
To learn more about Steph and follow her ever evolving journey as an artist:
Instagram: @stephwhalenfineart
Facebook: @StephWhalenART
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