Guest Artist Spotlight: Stephanie Stroud

Introducing Stephanie

 “Painting with wool” was something I had never heard of before meeting Stephanie Stroud. When I first saw her work, I could not comprehend what was going on- how did she create such delicate, flowing works with something like wool? And how did it stick together?

It was not until I went on a visit to Stephanie’s studio where I learned about her process. The dazzling colorful containers of wool in every hue were wonderful to look at on their own- but to see how she could create landscapes and ‘paintings’ with this classic technique.

The process of felting turns a piece of fiber into fabric by connecting individual fibers. To do this, Stephanie uses a specialized, barbed felting needle to combine the fibers onto a backing material. She can add other elements into her paintings to create unique works of heirloom quality. This weekend she will be in the studio with her work, and she will also be demonstrating her process.

In addition to being an extremely wonderfully kind and warm soul, she is a wealth of knowledge on all things art supplies, framing and art reproduction, Stephanie Stroud received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design where she majored in illustration. She creates impressionistic felted paintings inspired by nature. She shows her work at regional art shows including the South Coast Artists Open Studio Tour. Stephanie is a Custom Framing Designer at Riverside Art in Somerset Massachusetts and is currently the Membership Chair for South Coast Artists.

“Primarily a landscape artist, I am inspired by nature and the variation in landscape that the world around us offers. I work in fiber because I am a maker; I enjoy the process and tactile experience involved with assembling to create while appreciating the forgiveness and immediacy that wool allows. Texture and tactile experience are important in my process. Painting with fluffy bits of unspun colored wool involves a delicate and deliberate layering of color to capture light, texture and depth in soft impressionistic scenes, incorporating an element of the unexpected. The results are traditional landscapes created in an unconventional way that invite a second look.”

Learn more on her website: stephaniestroud.net and be sure to follow her on Instagram @stephanie.stroud.artist or Facebook www.facebook.com/stephaniestroudstudio.