Fine Art Paintings – Stephanie Konu

Blue and Gold abstract painting

My latest painting for the summer of 2020 is a blue, gold, and turquoise abstract painting. This glorious scene is entitled “Solar Rays”.

The painting is 24 inches tall by 27 inches wide. This is because of an error in cutting the size of my stretcher bars. I wanted the size to be 24 x 24 inches, but mistakenly forgot to account for the 1.5 inch width of the wood itself. Thus, 24x 27 inches. Live and learn.

A blue gold and turquoise painting By Artist Stephanie Konu 2020 — Solar Rays 2020 Art by Konu

This unique painting was conceptualized from a desire to show a solar ray escaping into the outer atmosphere of a star.

The light that escapes is pure energy, travelling outward into the cosmos. I used a blue background with this work, as opposed to my early work that usually featured a black negative space. The effect of using blue and turquoise in a negative space is a more welcoming one, as people are usually more drawn to comforting colours like these.

I am enjoying the direction of my new work. I am focusing on displaying my calmer attitude towards life (since motherhood specifically 😌) in my work, and I love where it is taking me.

My ability to express myself creatively has also expanded into my writing. I challenged myself to write a blog post every day for an entire month, and I exceeded the goal. From July 8, 2020 to August 8th (my favourite day of the year) I published a post relating to my new direction of personal development topics.

I implore you to check them out! I may write a book with the content, but as of now, I am still testing the rhythm of how often to maximize my reach.

Please visit my YouTube channel if you haven’t already. On my channel you get to see me in action as I discuss topics that have resonated with me in my life. I am hoping that with the right amount of attention to my channel, that I can expand the content because I really love to speak on camera and communicate my message of hope and positivity to everyone I meet.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my latest work.

Stephanie

August 24, 2020August 21, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Stephanie’s Art Roll Call

I recently shot this video to feature the beautiful way my recent artwork carries on from one piece to another.

On a gorgeously sunny day I staged my artwork in the sunlight, and kept them organized by size/ style.

By arranging them in this style, the consistent use of a golden sun is highly prominent. One can also easily see the iridescent quality of each work, as they are very reflective in the sunlight.

The colours just pop! It’s hard to believe that there are no filters, or after effects on this video- this is raw footage of my work in direct sunlight- radiating positive vibes into the universe!

I think that a series of prints featuring all of these images would do well- and I will happily make these available if asked. I hope that my message of positivity is conveyed as an overall theme when this video is viewed, and that it brightened your day/ week as well.

Thank you for stopping by,

June 20, 2020May 21, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Watch “Ambiance by Stephanie Konu” on YouTube

June 18, 2020June 18, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Blue, Gold, and Turquoise Acrylic Art

My latest work is a 24 x 24 inch gallery wrapped canvas with beautiful colors.

Entitled “Bliss”, this work was completed in 2020 by myself using acrylic pouring techniques.

As usual, my artwork encompasses an experimentational aspect- with the mixture of water into acrylic paint, it is never fully certain what the end result of a painting will be.

Starting with a brilliant blue background, I layered variations of blue and turquoise on top of one another to build a deep field upon which to place the iridescent full turquoise colour.

Where turquoise is layered underneath the gold field, a head-like figure emerges at the top of the image. The figurative head is facing west, and looking toward the direction that the sun is emerging from.

The gold fields of this work are so dramatic, and bring immense warmth to the feeling of this piece. In sunlight, as seen in the photos above, the reflective surfaces are magnetic, and draw the observer into the piece.

The splashes of gold add drama to the lower left area of the image. It is evident here that the deep gold field was poured against the brilliant blue background .

I would be immensely pleased to recreate this artwork on a very large canvas. Larger artwork always allows the details and nuances of my work to be displayed easier. I would happily make prints available for this piece in the future if asked.

I love the positive and exciting feeling this emitted from “Bliss”- it truly is blissful to spend time appreciating it.

Thank you for stopping by,

May 25, 2020May 21, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Large Blue and Gold abstract acrylic

Simple Sun Acrylic on Canvas by Stephanie Konu 2020

My latest work is an extremely large landscape measuring 86 inches x 26 inches.

The work is entitled “Simple Sun” and uses brilliant blue, turquoise, and gold to make an abstract landscape of a rising sun over ocean waves.

Simple Sun Acrylic on Canvas by Stephanie Konu 2020

The unconventional size was as a result of making two large art canvases for a commissioned work. I was unsure how well I could create the size, so I made two.

Simple Sun Acrylic on Canvas by Stephanie Konu 2020

The golden sun is a deep rich field that has a reflective and metallic finish. Where it meets the blue background, a hard edge is formed. The eye is brought to these hard edges and a high contrast is achieved.

Where the ocean wave meets the sky, turquoise metallic finishes edge the crash of a cataclysmic wave. Despite the enormity of the wave, it is still eclipsed by the magnitude of the simple sun.

In the heart of the sun, an orb of texture is visible.

Blue gold ad turquoise abstract landscape by Stephanie Konu 2020 — Simple Sun Acrylic on Canvas by Stephanie Konu 2020

Creating this piece was very therapeutic for me. It took many hour to get the sun exactly right. When the (real) summer sun returns to my backyard, I will be able to take more accurate photos that do a better job at capturing the metallic finishes and reflection of light that make this piece exceptional.

Thanks for stopping by,

-S

April 20, 2020April 23, 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

Gold relief painting in acrylic

My latest work is an acrylic relief painting that is heavy in texture. There is so much texture that my work is part sculpture, as the object emerges from the canvas surface.

An acrylic texture relief painting Epsilon in gold texture with black background. Saturn like ring around planet.

The concept follows the theme of my last few pieces; which is to show singular symbols against a black background. As the golden image floats through the darkness, it is representative of an echo from unknown depths coming outward. I say “echo” because it is difficult to determine what becomes of a feeling or thought once it is released into the universe. Perhaps on some level (collective consciousness, spiritual, or what have you), we communicate with symbols that carry deep personal meanings.

An acrylic texture relief painting Epsilon in gold texture with black background

Upon looking closer, one can detect the relief caused by the use of texture. Using my palate knife, I sculpted the division of the planet’s rings from the body of the sphere. It was also difficult to make a decision as to whether or not it was proper to paint black lines to further divide the rings from the planet.

An acrylic texture relief painting Epsilon in gold texture with black background

If I could change anything about this piece, it would be the unevenness caused by the division of the planet’s ring against the sphere body of the planet. I find it distracting.

When naming this piece, I wanted to avoid the obvious choice by calling it “Saturn”. To accomplish this, I researched other planets in our solar system with rings and learned that the planet Uranus has rings! The brightest of the 13 rings of Uranus is named Epsilon, and so voila!; the name of this golden planetoid painting was chosen.

An acrylic texture relief painting Epsilon in gold texture with black background Saturn ring planet

This last shot is altered; brightness levels have been reduced, while contrast has been increased. This allows the blackness of the background to really offset the gold multi faceted sphere surface and it’s rings.

This design is also available on many items printed on demand at www.spacearttshirts.com. Thank you for stopping by.

-S

May 14, 2019May 28, 2020 by @Lillybochic

Gold Trident with Black Background

My latest work is a gold trident with a textured surface. The piece is 11 x 14 inches and is entitled: Neptune’s Trident.

Gold trident shape symbol with black background — Neptune’s Trident by Stephanie Konu

I started off with a free hand sketch of a 3 pronged shape. Using a ruler to outline the sections, my aim was to ensure a shape that was as “un-lopsided” as possible. Without a symbol to trace, or a rough draft on graph paper it was tricky to conceptualize this shape.

Once the shape was sketched on the canvas, I furthered my experimentation with texture by shaping a thin outline along the edges of the trident. I used a technique similar to the one used for decorating cookies with royal icing. Stiff and dry texturizing compound along the border wall, to contain a more watery texturized mix that was flooded into the body of the shape. You can see that this approach has its drawbacks since the relief of the borders seems to be much higher than the inner body. The higher relief along the border contributes to an unevenness generally.

One of the the things I learned from creating this piece was the need for neatness and order! As you can see, each tip of the trident should be much more “pointed”, yet they are uniquely different. This is because of my sketch that was lacking a cleanly drawn plan for where to apply texture on the canvas.

The result leans farther towards the abstract than I would have hoped for. This current study of work is based on dream-like apparitions of images, and symbols coming out of the darkness like an echo. I think that “Neptune’s Trident” is a perfect example of what I am trying to achieve. I am excited to begin working on my next project in this series.

Thank you (as always) for stopping by.

-S

April 25, 2019May 21, 2020 by @Lillybochic