Stephanie Smith is in the open space on the 2nd floor #212, on the back side of the building across from the women’s restrooms (facing the center of the building) and almost next door to my own exhibit area.  If you come off the elevator and head toward the back of the building, go through the door, look right and you’ll see her grey wall with all the bright paintings and the red, orange and yellow Synergie Arts logo, and look to the left and see my red wall, with ceramics and the oriental rug in front of it.

Stephanie and I would like to point out that the 2nd floor has LOTS of WONDERFUL artists, and you don’t have to wait for the elevator – just a short hop up the stairs!

While Stephanie has been making art since she was a child, she always considered it play or at best a nice hobby.  She took pride in making handmade gifts and cards for family and friends for birthdays and on Christmas, but only felt comfortable giving her creations away as gifts.  It took the ending of her marriage of 12 years to be faced with the question of “Who am I, now?” to return herself to art in earnest two years ago.  Stephanie found solace in painting as she worked through a cauldron of feelings.  While painting, time would suspend, her thoughts would slow, and she felt a returning sense of who she was meant to be.    Her art, she feels, reflects her emotions, and currently those feelings are of calmness, strength, and optimism.

This is Stephanie’s first ArtOMatic and her first time ever publicly exhibiting her work.  “I decided to create a representation of the positive empowerment I now feel as I embrace my inner artist.  I use bold color in my abstract paintings because I will no longer mute the artistic voice I have inside.  My art is a representation of the Phoenix story that is in all of us.  Out of the ashes of a negative situation was born a new and beautiful experience – one I hope others will make a trip to the 2nd floor to see.”

A good friend of Stephanie’s, Aeren Waters, decided along with Stephanie to enter ArtOMatic for her first time too so that they could “partake of the adventure together.”

Nevertheless, the day Stephanie hung all of her paintings on the wall she “surprisingly felt great anxiety.  There they were, parts of me – my emotions, dreams, and elements of my spirit out there for all to see.  I felt very vulnerable and left the building thinking I had made a mistake entering this year.  Maybe I was not ready for this after all  After a good night’s rest, I returned the next afternoon and sheepishly walked to my space.  As I finished the flourishes on my wall, other artists began to relieve my anxiety by commenting kindly on my work and appreciating my use of color.  The supportive and encouraging place I have found at ArtOMatic began in those moments.  During Opening Night I still had a hard time staying at my space and in front of my work.  However, by Sunday I was able to speak more easily with visitors and actually enjoy their reactions and comments.  ArtOMatic is becoming a wonderful teacher for me as I grow in my role as an artist!”

Stephanie says that connection to spirit is what inspires her about seeing other artists and that it is the highlight for her of ArtOMatic.  “Meeting other artists and experiencing their work through their eyes has increased my creative fire exponentially!  I find the work of my 2nd floor neighbors amazing, thought provoking, and clever.  Certainly not to be missed!”

What do you do when/if you hit a slump?

When I hit a creative slump, I use it as a message to self that it is time to get re-inspired.  To do that, I put on music to dance and move my soul such as India.Aire, Les Nubiannes, jazz, classical, hop-hop, or soul.  Sometimes I simply need a good workout, my favorite being Zumba!  Other times a walk in the woods is called for where I am often inspired by natural elements and organic forms.  Still other times, quiet reflection and relaxation are in order and I practice Reiki.  So there are many modes to suit my many moods, thus my work maintains its deep connection to my spirit.”

You can find Stephanie’s work on her website:  http://www.SynergieArts.com; in her Etsy shop:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/SynergieArts; and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SynergieArts.

June 2, 7 – 9pm is meet the artists night.  Start at the 2nd floor!  Don’t know how to chat with an artist?  See here.  Artist who isn’t comfortable chatting with the public?  See here.

To read more interviews and see more photographs from ArtOMatic 2012 and earlier ArtOMatics, go here.