Stephanie Mew

 (Detail)

I have to admit that I couldn't get enough of Stephanie's work.  So this is the first of two posts I'm planning to show you.  I went down to her exhibition at Steps Gallery first, then a week later I made the short trip to her studio in Research. The work in each place differs quite markedly.  The work at Steps came out of a road trip to Uluru with fellow artist Linda Mac Aulay.  Linda's work is also showing at Steps.  As a mother of three children, Stephanie enjoyed the freedom of being able to just stop the van at will and walk off into the dunes to take photos or sketch.

Add to that an innovative bit of recycling and you have a body of work that is fascinating.  Apparently, Stephanie's partner is a bit of a bower bird.  He unearthed a large amount of old truckie's tarp at a garage sale.  Stephanie saw the potential in it straight away.  She scrubbed it up and set to work.  Truckie's tarp fits perfectly with a road trip theme.  She's left the ropes on it and has used some of the features of it in the composition of the painting.  For instance, an oversewn seam suggested the horizon line in this painting.

The two artists spent five days on the road and then Stephanie stayed at Uluru for eight days.  Realistic landscape is a bit of a departure from Stephanie's other work.  Trained at Melbourne Uni School of Education, she did a sculpture major but finds that she is swept away by the process of putting colour on canvas, or in this case truckies tarp.

(Detail)

She's quite interested in the crossover between art and craft, so the painting (above) features some collaged fabric. 

(Detail)

There's a lovely creative freedom in her work.  She lets the work dictate it's own direction, but has the experience and training that holds technique and quality steady. Her obvious love of painting and drawing also shines through each work.

(Detail)  

The work below is more in tune with her other work where marks and symbols dominate the canvas. The next post will include works similar to this.

These little concertina books are available for sale at Stephanie's studio during the Open Studio weekend.

Steps Gallery is at 62 Lygon Street Carlton.

Stephanie has her own website.  

Her studio can be found at 8 Beddoe Street, Research. Studios are open 11am-5pm, on 30th. April-1st. May 2011. For more details go to Artists Open Studios website.