keeper of the garden - Stephanie Law
Stephanie Law is a contemporary artist known for her surreal, nature-inspired works.
Blending mythology, movement, and organic forms,
her paintings explore perception, transformation, and the beauty of the unseen.
In the following conversation, we step deeper into her world —
her inspirations, her process, and the intuition behind her art.
Creative Voices with Artify: Your Art, Your Story
How did you first get into art? Was there a 'special moment' that sparked it?
I always loved art from as early as I could remember. Anytime I didn't have something else to do (and often when I did), I was doodling and drawing. So I wouldn't say there was a special moment sparking the art, but there was definitely a moment when the fire was lit for pursuing it as a career. I grew up being discouraged from considering art as a viable career option, and so I had it firmly in my mind as a "hobby only" option. But in college after I was nearly finished with my studies in computer science, I was at a job fair one day. I had spent the afternoon lining up interviews with many prospects in the tech industry, and it was a successful event for me. However, when I got home, I started crying because I realized it felt like I was definitively sidelining art from my life. That evening, I realized that I needed art to be central in my life. I wouldn't be happy with it as something to just do in my spare time, and so I made a resolution that I was going to make it happen, somehow. I wasn't sure yet at that moment what that path would be, but I was determined to find a way.
What led you to choose and commit to your current artistic style, and how does it help you express yourself more fully?
It has been an evolution over these years. I actually started mostly with acrylics, inks, and digital art, but in 2001 I fell in love with watercolor. I realized that a lot of the techniques I used in acrylics were better suited to naturally work with watercolors, and so I started doing more and more in that medium. As I've painted with it and come to be very familiar with its behaviors I've only come to love it more. There's so much variety of texture that can achieved with watercolors, by playing with the surface you paint on, using various mediums, and paying attention to granulation qualities of certain pigments. I feel like my use of the medium is always evolving. What I love most about watercolors is often what can be frustrating to those starting out. It's unexpected. It flows and changes. I think learning to work with watercolors is about letting go of rigid expectations, and letting the movement of the paint dictate the pieces a bit. This works with my style that is very movement-focused. I like to have lots of flow to a piece that pulls the viewer's eye around to all corners. I like organic textures, and this is something that natural movement of pigment and spreading pools of liquid in watercolor does very well. One thing about me, is that left to my own devices, I wat to lock down rigid control. I get frustrated with art like this though, so painting with watercolors lets me tap into looser fluidity. Tight rendering vs loose organic creates a wonderful tension in my work that I never tire of exploring.
Other things about your art journey that you might want to share?
Learning to trust that my own voice and artistic vision had value was one of the hardest but most rewarding lessons. Even knowing it and living it though, I have to constantly remind myself of this, because it's easy to forget or let the external voices carry too much weight and press against your self confidence
teaceremonies - Stephanie Law
From Mind to Canvas: The Art Supplies in Your Creative Process
What’s your approach to choosing the right art materials, and what qualities matter most to you?
My base requirements are usually acid free paper and paint that has good lightfastness ratings. Beyond that though, there's a lot of range in what I can pick to use that will be best suited. Even lightfastness is not a hard requirement if I'm doing a piece of art simply for the enjoyment of paint on paper and I don't have any requirements for it to last forever. Sometimes the ephemeral can be fun, and the lack of long term expectations frees me to explore and play with the paint in the carefree and joyous way that you do as a child. This can then lead to me being inspired with pieces that I have more investment in. Having demanding expectations of myself that every piece be a masterpiece is a sure way to lead me to seize up, and so I try to always make sure I have fun. This means that all kinds of materials have a time and place for me. Lightweight small sketchbooks are great to have on hand in my purse to scribble ideas on when they strike me, while high quality watercolor notebooks can be the place for more serious travel journaling and painting. I love using gouache for my travel painting, but I prefer watercolor for my illustration and gallery work. I particularly love pigments that granulate and create intriguing textures for my imagination to then latch onto and find forms and shapes. What I look for in brushes also varies greatly depending on circumstance and application. For very loose, impressionistic artwork, I like larger brushes that hold a lot of liquid, and yet also can come to a fine point. Chinese calligraphy type brushes work wonderfully for this purpose, allowing for a fluid gestural quality while also being able to capture fine detail. Or if I'm working on a miniature, or in the detailed focal point of an illustration, I want to have stiffer more short haired bristles that give me minute control and the ability to shade and render with dry brush techniques.
How has your experience been with Artify brushes? In what ways do they stand out and earn your approval?
I've enjoyed using artify brushes because there's a nice selection of different types of brushes, both the larger ones with good water absorption, and yet fine tip, as well as stiffer more controlled options with the right spring to them to allow for my illustrative rendering applications. They hold up well to my various techniques and are an affordable price point.
weavingthethreads - Stephanie Law
Words of Wisdom: Your Very Own Insights & Advices
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in art?
Be forgiving to yourself. Don't ever let your expectations overwhelm you. It can be hard, but try to draw and paint with an open mind for the results, and look on each piece as a stepping stone to what you want to ultimately achieve. Set attainable achievement goals, and when you feel like you've reached one of them, set a new higher one. Artmaking is a continuous lifelong journey. While I like the pieces I've created in the past, I always feel like the ongoing journey, and the Next piece is what I live for.
Have you ever hit a creative slump? What’s your secret to staying inspired and maintaining creativity?
Every artist does at sometime. I think for me the key to getting past it is to just keep drawing. If I'm not feeling inspired, I try to go back to practicing basic skills. I don't necessarily push myself to create a masterpiece if I'm not feeling it, but I'll go to my comfort zones of drawing things that might be easy and small, but that make me happy. I always try to reach for that Love of artmaking that I had as a kid, and keeping that spark alive throughout all my professional career. When I work on "smaller and easier" things, inevitably, something will spark my inspiration and I'll want to turn that into something bigger and more ambitious.
Do you think techniques should be actively worked on, or do they grow naturally? Any exclusive tips?
There's some of both. You have to constantly push at the boundaries of your comfort zone to expand your techniques, but to do that nonstop and at all times is exhausting and might not be fun, and as I mentioned earlier, the fun and joy of artmaking is one of the most important things. It's what leaves the door open to connecting with your reason for creating, for the voice you want to bring out. So there needs to be just space to breathe and to grow naturally. Push against the boundaries, but then once you've stretched out the space, take the time to enjoy the expanded room and to really eke out all you can before pushing once again.
What role do you think feedback plays in an artist's growth?
It can be tricky, and each artist's tolerance and response is different. You have to find the ability to accept constructive feedback, but at the same time be able to look honestly at your own work and make the final decision of that feedback is ultimately useful to how you want to grow, or to the direction you want to take your art. Critiques, whether they come from professional sources or general fanbase, are going to be fallible, and they don't have the final understanding that you do of your connection to your art. Sometimes feedback can be extremely useful and point out your blind spots. Other times they might not be aligned correctly to what you want to achieve, or might cause you to question your own confidence. Ultimately there is a balance that you need to look for, and be open minded to explore feedback that might differ from what you have in mind. Be able to try things out even if it might initially jar against your sensibilities because sometimes an external jolt can be the best possibly infusion to your art and bring it to a new level.
world tree - Stephanie Law
In Stephanie’s work, creation is not about control, but about listening —
to nature, to movement, to the quiet pull of intuition.
Her world reminds us that art does not always begin with a plan,
but with a feeling waiting to take form.
Inspired by Stephanie’s artistic world, our collaboration brush set translates her intuitive and organic approach into a tactile experience — now available. [explore the collection here].
To see more of Stephanie's work and follow her creative journey, visit:
Stephanie Law's linktree
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