Final 10th Anniversary PDF For Printer

Our 10th Anniversary Women of Distinction
Deeba: “One of your recent pieces is
from the Waking Life Collection titled,
The Sun Also Rises. Can you explain the
process and your intention behind this
painting?”
Stefanie: “The Sun Also Rises is one
of my favorite paintings in its series as it
best represents the synthesis of all of my
inspirations in one work. In my Waking
Life Collection, each work reveals some
sort of visual or contextual phenomenon.
The multiple suns are meant to reference
the way that time moves in our
dream state, or exists in our memories.
I aspire to create pictorial conversations
that are an aggregate of past and present-
that elicit feelings of both nostalgia
and possibility.”
The Sun Also Rises
Deeba: “And let’s look at one of your
architectural paintings. How about your
Power Line Series? One can literally hear
the smacking of electricity coming off
those lines, and yet the images are painted
with light and warmth of color which
creates contrasting interest.
Stefanie: This series was actually
completed quite some years ago. In
college I studied light and vacancy in
architecture- the power lines were an
offshoot of this and a way to expand
upon my exploration of the juxtaposition
of perspective and atmosphere.
Deeba: “Have you participated in
any public installations of your work?
One could see ‘Castles in the Sky’ as an
installation at a library or university.”
Stefanie: “Not as of yet, but as I
progress in my career this is definitely
something that interests me. Being an
artist is, in its essence, a solo venture,
but I’d love to connect with other creatives
and become more active within
the collaborative community. Participating
in public and or charitable works is
definitely a goal of mine for the shortterm
future.”
Deeba: “After reading your profile
online, I discovered your involvement in
charitable acts for your community. Can
you elaborate on this a bit? What are you
currently doing to ‘give back’?”
Stefanie: “This is something I’ve
been building upon. Besides donating
works to local nonprofit or charitable
foundations for fundraisers or auctions
(The San Diego Mission, AIGA, Home
Aid, FAB Authority), I’m also a co-leader
of the San Diego Chapter of the
Yellow Collective- a creative group of
female entrepreneurs and small business
owners.”
Deeba: “As busy as you are, do you
accept commissions and if so, what is the
process one would go through in commissioning
a piece from you?”
Stefanie: “As you know, often people
see art-buying as a daunting or financially
impractical experience, but personally
commissioned work is the most affordable
avenue for acquiring art that is both
original and personal to the buyer. I love
commissions because they enable me to
work outside of my academic mold and
to create a product that’s both reflective
of my own style and an interpretation of
the client’s vision. It’s a really fun experience
making other people’s ideas come
to life. Anyway, contacting me through
my website or social media is the easiest
way to touch base about a potential commission
or partnership.”
Deeba: “Where do you see yourself in
five years?”
Stefanie: “My goal is to become a
vital part of the local creative community
through collaboration, charity, and
teaching. Despite it seeming secondary
to my fine art career, teaching has always
been a strength of mine and working
with youth or novice artists in some
capacity, whether through formal education,
sharing my craft, or just encouraging
young creatives to pursue their
passions, is definitely something I see
myself continually engaging in. My own
family and two-year-old son are truly
what I value above all else, so I hope to
encourage this passion for creativity and
exploration in my own home as much as
possible, too.”
In conclusion, I find the work of
this established artist fascinating as she
uses threads of psychology to evoke
impressions in her work. Her mastery of
technique goes without saying and plays
a concrete role in creating a mystical
dialogue in her paintings. Her imagery
is anchored in reality while her brush
evokes an ethereal point of view. The approach
she takes stems from an educated
life and taps into the flow of the divine,
while playing with our unconscious.
What else can I say, except you have
to see her work and experience it for
yourselves? And if you like the experience,
commission one for your home.
Truly, every artist lives to create and
loves commissions! For more on Stefanie’s
work and process or to see more
of her beautiful art, visit her website at
www.stefaniebales.com or find her on
social media at @stefaniebalesfineart
Stefanie is currently being represented
by both Adelman Fine Art in Little
Italy, and Sparks Gallery in downtown
San Diego, and her work is in
numerous private collections across
the country and internationally. She
has been published extensively, with
recent features on the TLC network, in
Southern California Homes, Fine Art
Connoisseur, Art Ltd, KUSI, Pacific
San Diego Magazine, and the Santa
Barbara Sentinel.
Castles in the Sky
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