Joe Stavec

stavecparkstudio at earthlink dot net

Art is not an end in itself. It is a method of creating awareness of the marvelous. Surrealist art reveals invisible secrets and exposes hidden surprises. Surrealism is based on a fascination with the strange and imaginary. There are treasures hidden in the human mind, an ability to bathe everyday reality in a magic light.

I am an American born in 1957. I paint images in oils and sumi inks. My artistic influences include Rene' Magritte, Odilon Redon, Max Ernst, Salvador Dali and Charles Burchfield. I take my inspiration from many things, not least of which is the written word. Authors such as Neil Gaiman and Jorge Luis Borges put me in a mindset to create images of a world that exists just behind the veil of what we perceive as our reality. World mythology is also a rich source of my inspiration with its tales of fantastic creatures and heroic deeds.

I paint in the traditional manner, with underpaintings and color glazes. I blend realistic settings with the unusual and unexpected like the flash memory of a dream or a place once visited but forgotten. My latest works are smaller in size which has enabled me to explore more images from my mind. To me, surrealism is more than just a seri...

Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio 1980
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Lithography

2024 Oct - Juried Show
Honorable Mention "Along the Border of Dream"
Tikkannen Art Prize
Ashtabula Art Center, Ashtabula, Ohio

2024 August - Juried Show
48th Annual Art Exhibition
Fairmount Center for the Arts, Novelty, Ohio

2024 May - Juried Show
The May Show
The Gallery at Lakeland, Kirtland, Ohio

2024 May - Invitational Exhibition
The Healing Power of Color
Manhattan Arts International

2024 April - Art Collectors Choice Art Awards
Surrealism: 6th Place

2023 November - American Art Awards
Surrealism: 4th Place Tie

2023 August - Juried Show
Best in Show "Anticipation of a Moment"
47th Annual Art Exhibition
Fairmount Center for the Arts, Novelty, Ohio

2023 July Invitational Show
The Big @ss @rt Show
The Gallery at Lakeland, Kirtland, Ohio

2023 June - World Art Awards
Surrealism: 1st Place
Fashion: 6th Place Tie

2023 May - Juried Show
The May Show
The Gallery at Lakeland, Kirtland, Ohio

2023 March - Juried Online Show
Black and White Art Exhibition
Fusion Art Gallery, Sante Fe, NM

2022 December - Juried Online Show
Light and Shadow Art Exhibition
Fusion...