Pensive Stephanie Drawing

ARTIST STATEMENT Creating art is my meditation—a moment of peace where I am free from all other obligations. My best work happens when I work fast and loose, trusting my inner core rather than my analytical mind. My current focus is on the abstracted human figure. In both my drawings and sculptures, I strive to simplify until only a movement, an emotion, a presence is left. I embrace randomness, yet I wonder—is it truly random, or is it actually the unfiltered expression of my inner self? My goal is to invite viewers to connect with my work, while offering space for their imagination to complete the story. BIOGRAPHY Born in Paris, France, I moved to the US in 1994. As far as I can remember I have always been drawing and building things, but it is a workshop with the sculptor Petrus () in 1978, which triggered my passion for sculpture. At that time, I had just completed my education in electrical engineering. Rather than going right away to work, I applied to the “Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts” in Paris, and studied drawing and sculpture there for a year, before spending several months with Petrus, from whom I learned the foundation of my clay technique. However, at the time, a career in art was not really an option for me (or so I thought) and I went back to pursuing a career as an engineer. Eventually, in 2016, after 35 years with limited artistic activity, I finally got back to art full time. I also love to teach figure drawing and sculpture. I spend my time between my studio in Santa Barbara (CA), the SB City College studio lab and foundry, where I am tutoring. One can see my work at the 10 West Gallery and the Illuminations Gallery in Santa Barbara and the Seager-Gray Gallery in Mill Valley (CA). MY PROCESS I watch the model, feeling the tension of her pose in my own body. With my knife, I carve bold cuts into the block of clay, striving to capture the essence of the pose. I work quickly to keep the energy flowing... I draw swift lines and add splashes of watercolor, remaining fully focused on the model, enjoying the freedom of my hand moving across the paper. Years of Aikido practice taught me the value of relaxing, sensing the situation with my body, and trusting the process for a powerful and authentic response. Similarly, I believe that minimizing the mental interference, results in a more authentic expression of myself, along with greater liveliness and energy.