Stephanie Smith Sanders

I’m a collector of art turned artist who now collects moments on canvas. As a self-taught painter, my art career came about unexpectedly and quite by accident. After moving my dad into a residential memory care facility, there was a need to liven up the walls of his apartment, so I bought a blank canvas and decided to try my hand at painting. The finished piece wasn’t half bad, and I really enjoyed the creativity it sparked within me. A short time after, my youngest child was leaving for college—thus leaving me with an empty nest and struggling to figure out my new place in this world beyond being "mom." I remembered the feeling that painting had given me—an expressive outlet, an escape, a “something to do just for me.” I’ve always been a creative person, yet painting was never my outlet. However, I have found that I’m drawn to the freedom and infinite possibilities with techniques, styles, and materials that I’m able to use in my artwork. My favorite mediums are acrylic paints and oil pastels; however, my creations do not fit into one category—I can’t check a box on one style or medium. I enjoy mixing details in the genres of figurative, abstraction, expressionism, realism, and impressionism. I’m inspired and influenced by my environment—the places, the people, the things I’ve seen, and my experiences—a source of boundless colors and elements. I like to tell my stories on canvas by creating texture and depth in the layers using palette knives, and often incorporate an original writing, a pun, a play on words, a bit of humor, or a hidden “something” where the viewer can be lost in discoveries, inspirations, emotions, or even questions when looking upon each piece.