Stephanie
Clayton
Biography:
Stephanie
Hoff Clayton, born in 1965, is a native
of Birmingham, Alabama. After earning an
art degree from Newcomb College of Tulane
University, she opened a small studio where
she painted and taught children's art classes.
Years later during a visit to the Caribbean,
she was transformed by the profound beauty of
the islands and sea. After returning home
to the
U.S., her work began to explode with color
and
feeling. She had found her passion, and subsequently moved
to the islands to pursue her work.
Artist's Statement:
My
purpose in painting is to communicate a
sense of wonder and mystery, that all is
not revealed in a single glance. To really
see with the soul, one must peel back the
layers. Many of my paintings contain a
window or door, a metaphor for looking
beyond the obvious.
I
am surrounded by a glistening turquoise
sea, which appears lit from within. Living
on a small island, I am constantly aware
of its presence. It is an ever-changing
and moving body, transforming everything
it touches: A tumble of beach stones washed
smooth by time, seaside buildings with their
peeling paint, a lonely beach with shifting
sand. These scenes mesmerize my emotions.
I must render them all on canvas.
I
am enamored with color and light, and their
ethereal effects. I notice color everywhere--even
in the shadows and the darkest night. I use
my heightened sense of color to experiment
freely with paint. The art process has
as much meaning for me as the end result.
Each painting undergoes many transformations
before I am satisfied. To achieve luminosity
and depth, I use vibrant washes, drips,
veils of translucent pigment and impasto
effects. I apply layers of paint, then scrape
or wipe away areas to
reveal color underneath. My lines and shapes
often become blurred as the process unfolds.
The ocean's effect of washing away and softening
boundaries is mirrored in my technique and
imagery.
Stephanie
Clayton, C/O Rush It,
PO Box 11156,
St. Thomas,
USVI 00801
1-284-494-6365 Studio
1-284-499-1261
Mobile
bviartist@yahoo.com
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