Nestled in the Copley Society’s Red Room is a solo exhibition by mixed media artist Stephanie Danforth. She works in a variety of media, including oil, gold leaf, metal and paper to create highly detailed compositions. The show comprises two distinct series: precisely painted over life-sized fruit and vegetables, and cut-out metal angels overtop simple yet elegant patterned backgrounds.
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| Integrity, 18 x18, oil, etched metal and gold leaf on panel |
The paintings of juicy, luscious vegetation stem from her devotion to her garden. Danforth chooses to paint all of her fruit larger
than life, as she enjoys pushing the limits of the form. Each object is blown-up, made to be as big as they can
be, and invite the viewer to examine the common object as something more. especially in the roundness of the cherries that she has painted
multiple times. Danforth's hyper-realist cherries, as seen in Life Is... explores the saturation of the color and the bulbous form of the fruit. A recurring theme in her work, cherries appeal to her in both form and color, as she claims that if she "could be one color, (she) would be red."
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| Life Is...., 18 x18, oil and gold leaf on panel |
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As much as
Stephanie enjoys the process of creating her art, she loves that it also allows
her to change lives. In 2000, Danforth embarked on a safari to Kenya that
dramatically changed the course of her life. During her trip she visited
a village school, and was greatly affected by the children and their
educational needs. After her trip she made a vow that any money she made
from her art would go to helping those children, and she donates all of the
proceeds from her sold works to the school. The welfare of children has
always been a large part of her life, as she had worked as a pediatric
nurse practitioner for nearly twenty-five years before returning to painting
full time.
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| French Radishes, 36 x 24, oil and collage on panel |
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Similar to her life, Danforth takes risks with her art, and she refuses to be repetitive. While the subject matter stays relatively the same, each work carries its own personality and style.Stop by the Copley Society of Art to see this charming and unique exhibtion by a fascinating artist. Amalgamation will be on display in the Red Room gallery until November 8th.
