ARTIST STATEMENT

I am a St. Louis-based artist with a lifelong passion for capturing joy through paint. After growing up in Memphis and studying in Illinois, I spent years exploring diverse media while teaching elementary art. My journey began with watercolor in college, expanded into graphic design and illustration—appearing in The Riverfront Times—and included functional painted pieces featured in Better Homes & Gardens. I was also honored to contribute to the exhibition Footsteps, Journeys and Connections at The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston.

Today, I have returned to my roots with a renewed focus on watercolor while embracing oil painting. My current work celebrates the intimate beauty of the natural world through macro botanical watercolors and vibrant wildflower oils. Whether rendering delicate details of seeds or sweeping fields of blooms, I strive to convey the quiet wonder and luminous joy found in everyday nature.

My goal is simple: to share moments of beauty and delight that invite viewers to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the living world around us.

BIOGRAPHY 

Stephanie grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, attended college in Illinois, and lived on the West Coast for several years before settling in St. Louis, Missouri, where she has made her home for the past 25 years.

A lifelong lover of creating, Stephanie taught elementary art for many years while exploring a wide range of media. She began with a strong focus on watercolor in college, later working professionally in graphic design and illustration. Her illustrations appeared in The Riverfront Times (St. Louis), and her work was featured in the multi-faceted exhibit Footsteps, Journeys and Connections for The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts. During this period, she also created functional art—hand-painted canvas floor mats and outdoor planters—some of which were featured in Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest magazine’s Outdoor Casual issue (Summer 2001).

A few years ago, Stephanie returned to her first love, watercolor, while also embracing oil painting. With an enduring artistic spirit, her primary goal is to express joy through paint. Today she specializes in vibrant wildflower oil paintings and macro botanical watercolors, which she paints from photos she takes when on walks in the park, Missouri Botanical Gardens, or Shaw Nature Reserve in rural Missouri.

RÉSUMÉ

EDUCATION

1985 B.A. Studio Art, Principia College, Elsah, Illinois

2007 Art Teacher Certification, Webster University, Webster Groves, MO

AWARDS

1985 Studio Art Award, Principia College, Elsah, Illinois

CURRENT RETAIL SHOP/BOUTIQUE

Union Studio, Webster Groves, MO

TEACHING EXPERIENCE (1998-2008)

Center of Creative Arts (COCA), Visual Arts Faculty, University City, MO

CHILDREN’S BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS

The Alphabet Rebellion, author, Chet Manchester

Madison and Alexandra’s Fairyland Adventure, author, Holly Gerchen

The Magic Railroad

PREVIOUS ART FAIRS/GIFT BOUTIQUES

Jr. League of St. Louis Holiday Boutique

Central West End, Art Fair