Bio
My name is Stephanie L. Mead and I am a mixed media painter. My work is detailed and layered, and I combine several mediums to create my original compositions. I view each work as a serious undertaking, taking notes and planning my art before I create it. Most recently, my process begins with a pencil under-drawing on Arches paper. Once the drawing is complete, I begin painting with watercolor. I work swiftly and intuitively painting with controlled drips. As the work becomes more complex and more refined, I work smaller, taking care to X-acto, glue, and finesse my final embellishments. My work includes pieces of found material, ink transfers, hand-drawn elements, and many other little secrets. I enjoy the growth process of my work and use all tools necessary to complete my vision.
I draw inspiration from my life experiences. I was born to a Mexican mother and an American father and raised in Texas. This divide in heritage has affected me since an early age, with frequent travels to Mexico City and road trips across the United States. At age seventeen I traveled alone to Spain for the summer. I then moved to San Diego, California to obtain my BFA in Painting and Printmaking with a minor in Art History. My passion for language, art, and history began to be fulfilled in a backpacking trip I embarked on in my early twenties. My knowledge and experiences are visible in my artwork, from my formal watercolor techniques to my love for ancient building structure. Although my work sometimes takes on underlying political or social standpoints, my goal is to maintain a fresh, dream-like buoyancy with the final image.
I am now living in New York to continue my life-long pursuit of art making and am currently making artwork in my home studio in Brooklyn and attend the Art Students League of New York.
