Sunnies

Coastal Posted July 14, 2016 by Steph Fonteyn What happens when you move an artist from snowy mountains of Switzerland to the coastal wetlands of Florida? It’s the sunshine state where it feels like summer all year around. It’s hot, humid and tropical. You can find an exotic fruit salad growing in your own back yard and everywhere you go you see palm trees, coconuts, alligators, iguanas, lizards and more. It’s surreal, fascinating and inspiring. My eyes and ears think I am on holiday, the sound of crickets and frogs singing at night, peacocks freely roaming around the neighborhood, pelicans soaring above my head at the pier, and dolphins escort the boats at sea. Every time I see a palm tree, I momentarily feel like I am on holiday. I wanted to capture this feeling of summer holiday, put in my pocket and be able to take it out on a rainy day. The “Coastal” series is the joy of a summer holiday on a canvas. Inspired by Miami beaches, swimming pools, the Everglades and all that is tropical and Floridian. “Feel that vacation feeling on your walls” Moving to Florida in February 2016 also shifted the energy of my work. Colorful industrial style still life subjects began to emerge. Inspired by artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Gerard Richter, Stephanie focuses more on the process of creating an urban graffiti wall look to her canvases through a layering process of adding and subtraction of acrylic paint using knifes, brushes, water sprays, sponges and squeegees to create an industrial look. The shift in color palette is greatly influenced by the light of an eternal summer and the colors of the tropics that are simply fascinating and tantalizing.