Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.
An Interview with Craig Stephens.

Who am I and where am I from:

My name is Craig Stephens and I live on two beautiful acres in Auburn, California. I have been a high school art teacher for the past 21 years. I grew up around a decent art book collection that my dad had. some of my fondest childhood memories are of trips to art museums in the bay area with my parents and sister.

How I got into this:

The first decent drawings that I ever did were copied from my collection of Marvel Comics. Through high school I continued to draw and dabbled a little in painting. My first positive experience with painting was in community college where I had classes with Gary Pruner, this guy could really paint and his color theory was very strong. He got me excited about making pictures. I latter transferred to U.C. Davis where I had classes with Wayne Thiebaud, Dave Hollowell and Roy DeForest. In 2006 I met Duane Keiser at a karate practice and he introduced me to the idea of completing a painting a day.

What drives me:

That's a pretty complicated question. I'll try to list some of the driving factors in no particular order. I like to make things. I have lots of ideas and it's satisfying to explore them quickly and move on to the next thing. I like collections of similarly sized or shaped things. The idea of creative momentum appeals to me. I get antsy if it's late in the day and I haven't painted yet. The concentration required to paint from life is a lot like meditation for me. Finally, It would be disingenuous for me to not mention economics. I make a modest sum by selling these little paintings on-line. I'd rather have them out in the world being enjoyed than tucked away in a box in my studio.

What kind of work I do and why:

I paint mostly still life paintings featuring a single object. My painting aren't really about composition. They are too simple for that. I like the way things look. Lately I'm messing around more with my edges. The boundary between abstraction and clarity is interesting to me. The objects that I choose have to resonate with me in some way. I like old tools because I think they have some of the essence of the people who used them. Sometimes I like the shape or color of something at the moment I see it and it just strikes me as being interesting of fun to paint. I always tell my students that it doesn't matter what you paint. What matters is how you paint it. A successful painting can chart the quality of your mentality while you're painting it.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.

Still Life Paintings by Craig Stephens from Auburn, United States.
For more of Craig Stephens Check this link of his Instagram account:- https://www.instagram.com/craigstephensart/ or his blog http://craigstephens.blogspot.com

All Images are copyright by: Craig Stephens

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