Artist and educator, BILL STEPHENS, will give a presentation entitled “Meditative Art” at the February 26, 2019 meeting of theIrondequoit Art Club to be held 7:30 PM at Chapel Oaks, St. Ann’s Community, 1550 Portland Ave., Rochester, NY 14621, after the club’s 7 PM business meeting. (Enter St. Ann’s Campus and bear left following signs to the main entrance of Chapel Oaks.) There is no charge for this event and the site is accessible to all. After receiving a BFA from Layton School of Art, Milwaukee, WI, Stephens taught art at FLCC from 1969-71. He obtained a Master of Science in Art Education from RIT and was employed by Webster Central School District for forty years, retiring in 2014. He currently works full time as an artist. His art work has been included in juried exhibitions at Arnot Art Museum, Elmira NY; Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester NY; Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY; Milwaukee Art Center, Milwaukee, WI; and Society of Illustrators, NYC. Stephens’ work is process driven and inspired by morning meditation, writing, memory and imagination. Though Stephens doesn't approach each piece with a definitive plan in mind, his meditative daily process prepares him for approaching the fresh, empty surface. The ink drawings are created from pure intuition, and result in wonder-filled surfaces of texture and pattern, with forms emerging that seem to have a presence. Each piece is extemporaneously developed and contains open ended symbols that encourage personal interpretation and reflection. Stephens' lovely, meditative work is based on natural forms such as pods and hedgerows. He takes inspiration from things he finds on and around the property he shares with his wife, artist Jean Stephens, in Honeoye Falls, and on trips to the Southwest. The landscape, and native spirit of the southwest has had a major influence on his work. Stephens is adamant that the learning process never ends. Since retiring, he has been taking workshops with Peter London at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and at Zen Mountain Monastery, learning from Sister Jody Kimmel, who teaches students to draw with pigment they make from foraged plants. Bill Stephens can be contacted at Works Road Studio 166 Works Road, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472; phone 585-944-8067; email [email protected]
0 Comments
|
Archives
March 2024
Categories |