@Lillybochic

Ontario Arts Council Award

I am so happy to announce that I have been awarded an Ontario Arts Council Grant for my work at a recent exhibition!

ART GRANT Photo Report1

Albion Branch- Toronto Public Library System

I achieved a one month exhibition in a high traffic area of the Albion Public Library in Toronto. After liaising with the branch manager via telephone to confirm details of the exhibition, I attended and installed select pieces of artwork in a glass enclosure near the technology and meeting rooms of the library.

I set up signage within the display including my contact details which resulted in one member of the community reaching out to me on Instagram. This community member expressed their enjoyment of my artwork in the library and a desire to see similar things in the future. I was able to impact at least one community member with my colourful and inspirational artwork, which I am really proud of.

At the end of the exhibition I gifted a few pieces of my artwork to the library in gratitude for the experience. Furthermore, I formed relationships with community stakeholders who can further the promotion of the arts in the Rexdale community.

All of this has become possible with the assistance of the Ontario Arts Council. Their support has helped to create opportunities for artists to exhibit their work for the world to enjoy. I am so thankful for this award, and for the experience.

April 1, 2020March 28, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Echo: Gold and Azure with a brilliant Blue negative space

Greetings!

My latest work is a gorgeous foray into the world of 24 x 24-inch canvas scenes.

I built a series of wood frames that were all dedicated to this study about a month ago, and haven’t looked back. I feel preoccupied with the concept of a square canvas over a calm blue negative space. Iridescent forms float by, reminiscent of jelly fish in captivity: over fed, and super content. It’s the epitome of the ultra chill vibe I’m going for in this piece.

blue gold and turquoise acrylic art, revealing a metalic and light reflecting finish — Echo by Stephanie Konu. 2020

In this piece, my intention was to show an echo travelling through water into a surrounding field. The origin of the echo can represent sound, or perhaps light (if light can echo, that is).

I wanted to show that there is a desire and ultimate necessity in being heard. The existence of an echo confirms that you have been heard, even if you had the only ears around.

I am so excited to show you my next few pieces of artwork- be sure to check back next month, follow me on Instagram, and also on Pinterest ❤

Thank you for subscribing to the anieksteph.com blog, and also for stopping by!

-S

March 20, 2020May 4, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Blue and Gold Abstract Acrylic

Happy Black History month!

My latest acrylic on canvas abstract work has two parts. I used the same palate for both pieces: blues of varying shades, gold, and green lurking in the background.

I have been dedicating myself to larger sizes of canvas of late. I still prefer square dimensions, but I have realized that the size of my work translates better on large settings. Large sizes also allow for more experimentation.

I named these pieces “Summer’s Day” and “Summer’s Night” to further signify their companion status to each other. Each piece is 23 x 23 inches in size.

I think that on their own, each looks quite striking; metallic gold fields are eye catching when executed in this way. The above piece (Summer’s Night) features translucent fields that pop out of the turbulent background like ghosts. I paint fastidiously to create layers of colour over my canvas, and in my mind this creates a depth of experience. There are times that an entire scene is covered up, revealing only a fragment of what once showed prominently. Because I created what existed before and chose to cover it, I get to be the only person who knows what lies beneath. Another deep inner thought about the creative process, I suppose.

The above piece (Summer’s Day) was created earlier than Summer’s Night. My inspiration for this piece was the work of Joan Miro. I love how lighter fields dance over darker backgrounds that form part of earlier layers. Again, here I am able to hold the secret of what existed before and I love it. My weirdness is ever evolving when it comes to my artistic practice.

If I could paint all day…

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my corner of the world. Check back soon to visit my blog archives, and to see what I’ve been up to.

-S

February 20, 2020February 18, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Abstract landscape of a gold sun over an ocean and hillside

My most recent acrylic on canvas is an abstract landscape depicting a tumultuous sea meeting green hills and a golden sun.

Full size sun over ocean and hill by Stephanie Konu Art By Konu blue silver green and golden sun abstract landscape

The colour scheme of this piece is somber. Dark blue brings a feeling of security and dependability. It is a rather large piece measuring 60 x 24 inches.

Close up sun over ocean and hill by Stephanie Konu Art By Konu blue silver green and golden sun abstract landscape

I used metallic paints to highlight the sun and the cascading waves. When light hits the surface of this piece, the sun glows magically. I love the calming nature of my work. I utilized a lot of blue to set the background up, then added the other elements in layers. The golden sun took a full day to get it to look how I wanted it. Upon close inspection, there are many variations in the background layers that add complexity and depth to the piece. Each person will see different images in this landscape; a quality that I truly believe, makes my work special.

Thank you for stopping by!

January 20, 2020January 20, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Creating a portrait from a digital illustration

My latest painting is a portrait of my brother, sister in law, and their pet cat. I used an old photo of the lovely couple from New Years Eve a few years ago. The original photo shows my sister in law wearing a cardboard NYE hat, but I omitted this from the sketch so that the final result would appear more formal.

The first stage of my process…

The foundation of every good portrait begins with line work. I always sketch my work digitally, then transfer the basic outline to my canvas. Details that are important to defining traits of the subject (i.e. the small patch of white hair on Armani the cat’s chest) must be captured. With line work, it is important to remember that the essence of the form should be captured first, followed by finer details. The profile of the subject (the head shape, neck, and body) is important to be captured accurately. When doing line work, I always endeavour to avoid getting too caught up with facial details (dimples, beauty marks, and aging lines).

With line work, it is important to remember that the essence of the form should be captured first, followed by finer details. The profile of the subject (the head shape, neck, and body) is important to be captured accurately. When doing line work, I always endeavour to avoid getting too caught up with facial details (dimples, beauty marks, and aging lines).

The second stage of my process…

Once the outline is captured, colours are layered on the canvas. I always use a watered-down paint mixture to “wash” the early layers of each colour in. By using a wash technique, the colours are able to be “built” upon. “Building up” layers of colour allows for a much smoother end result. Notice the magenta colour of my sister-in-law’s shirt: I made a mistake here and did not water down the first few layers of the magenta colour. Because of this error, one can quite visibly see that there are uneven applications of colour. You can also see very distracting brush strokes…(I am so disappointed by that!).

I think that having brush strokes visible makes the piece look amateur-like. As I improve my technique, I really want to work on this. I think that I get overly excited when starting and finishing a piece; and I skip important steps. I seem to mainly have this problem with my portrait work though.

The third stage of my process…

This stage is where final details are completed. My heart and mind race during this stage. It is the part of the process where everything comes together, and if it fails to execute, the long hours of work put in may have been wasted.

My artistic style includes basic shading and highlights as my skill improves. I am working on making faces appear more life-like. The final painting is shown below in detail. My brother was impressed by the work, and I presented it to him for Christmas.

2019 has been a year filled with surprises. For the past several months I have consistently posted new blog entries on a weekly basis. My desire was to see where I could take my blog with consistent and measured attention. As I have grown as an entrepreneur, so have my goals. I am beginning to become involved in more diverse projects that require time and dedication- some of which I will need to borrow from the anieksteph blog. As a result, instead of weekly posts the anieksteph blog will become a monthly blog, and will focus on rewriting and curating existing content.

Our landing page will likely change to a static front page with information on how to contact me, and links to the current areas of the site. The blog posts will still remain- so do not worry about where to find your favourite posts.

Thank you for stopping by. If you are interested in reading more about my upcoming projects visit my Instagram page, or my new Facebook page at Art by Konu.

Happy New Year!

-S

December 30, 2019January 5, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Textured acrylic in abstract portrait style

Title: Rock Slide, 2019. Stephanie Konu

My latest work is so difficult to describe.

To me: it is an abstract scene of a green field sloping upward against a backdrop of a glacier. Sunrays are shining against the hilltop which is pictured in the heart of the piece.

There are raised areas that create texture where multiple colours intersect. This intersection is pictured above. I love how the yellow field has these “legs” that creep into other colours without merging and losing vibrancy.

I like seeing that in my work! It makes me feel confident that I can repeat my style of painting across various conditions. I imagine being invited to Portugal for a month to paint large works for a private collection. I would paint 7 hours a day and do 50 pieces. The client would hang my artwork in a castle near the Mediterranean Sea…

Ah dreams take us away, don’t they?

For the time being, I will share my artwork with you.

Rock slide abstract painting by Stephanie Konu blue, violet, grey, silver — Rock slide abstract painting by Stephanie Konu

It is an interesting piece. There are reflective fields where I used metallic paint, as well as iridescent violet embossing powder. I will take further photos of it as time goes by, (if it stays in my posession).

Thank you for stopping by to check out my work.

-S

November 25, 2019May 21, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Acrylic Ocean abstract

My latest work is a 2 piece set that mimics a landscape scene of an ocean. In the lower corner the gold sun sets over the horizon like a jewel.

1of 2

Ocean splash acrylic on canvas blue black grey and gold metal — Ocean splash acrylic on canvas

Blue grey black ocean splash abstract by Stephanie Konu — Ocean splash acrylic on canvas close up by Stephanie Konu

2 of 2

There are quite a few layers of paint that went into the creation of this two piece set.

I recreated the setup many times to achieve this scene that is filled with swirls and paint pouring. I can remember what I was thinking about when I created this, and I can see lots of drama hidden in the way the colours play against each other.

Perhaps these would look better in simple black frames, hung on the wall of a powder room.

Thank you for stopping by,

-S

November 18, 2019May 21, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Tips For Success in Blog writing #7 on best reads list

My latest publication: “Tips For Success in Blog Writing” is an instant hit.

I wrote this publication to help prospective bloggers to start the blog they have always dreamed of.

In this free ebook offer tips and tricks to get over that first hump of beginning the process.

I show readers that they have the potential do the things they really love, by planning ahead.

This week I am happy to announce that “Tips For Success In Blog Writing” has made it to #7 on BookAuthority.com’s list of 2019’s Best Books to Read About Blogging.

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Book authority.org review of Tips for success in blog writing by Stephanie Konu

I am very happy to have made this ebook and am so pleased to know that it is being enjoyed by others.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more educational content!

-S

November 11, 2019March 13, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Acrylic Portraits

My latest work is a study in portraiture.

African woman with gold accent and blue background acrylic on canvas by Stephanie Konu — African woman acrylic on canvas by Stephanie Konu

African woman with blue background and gold Accent acrylic on canvas by Stephanie Konu — African woman acrylic on canvas by Stephanie Konu

It was an unexpected leap to go from illustrating portraits to painting them. I had a few gut-wrenching interludes, yet I found myself happy with the finished work.

Young woman of colour 1 of 2 acrylic on canvas with green shirt and blonde hair

Close up blue background Young woman of colour 1 of 2 acrylic on canvas with green shirt and blonde hair — Close up Young woman of colour 1 of 2 acrylic on canvas with green shirt and blonde hair

I enjoy painting details with fine brushes. Usino a watered-down high quality black acrylic, I achieve an easy flow to outline each figure.

portrait of artist Stephanie Konu in 1980s vintage style colours green, blue and ebony — portrait of artist Stephanie Konu in 1980s vintage style colours

I’m having so much with this and I am excited to see what I develop next.

Thanks for stopping by,

October 7, 2019March 13, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Vaughn Ontario Culture days

Greetings!

I love autumn. It is my favorite season. Warm afternoons, cool mornings, and the perfect nights that require blankets with an open window are plentiful during this time of year.

Autumn is also a fairly busy time of year. Many of us are returning from summer vacations are are back to the daily grind. There are many art shows as well that pop up as the year comes to an end.

I had the pleasant opportunity to participate in an art exhibition early in September of 2019. The show took place at an historic estate that once belonged to JEH Macdonald of the Group of Seven. The event was in Thornhill, but was sponsored of The City of Vaughn.

Myself and 20 other artists exhibited our artwork during the weekend.

The show brought in approximately 100 people, and there were a few sales.

The highlight of the event was the opening reception. I was able to meet fellow artists who shared similar passions.

I’m very happy to have been invited to the show, and look forward to more autumn exhibitions like this one.

Thanks for stopping by,

September 30, 2019March 13, 2020 by @Lillybochic