Stephanie attended both Wayne State University and Kendall College of Art & Design where she received her BFA with a concentration in illustration. Since graduation Stephanie has taught at not only PCCA, but Paint a Miracle, Michaels Arts & Crafts and Butterfly Jar Art Studio. As well Stephanie instructs students of all ages privately, and works as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer in her free time. Along with her talents as a fine artist utilizing more traditional methods, Stephanie has expanded her repertoire of artistic skills to incorporate the digital world of art. Working as a freelance illustrator, Stephanie has worked on a number of children's books applying her skills of digital illustration to bring her client's personal vision to life. Always striving to grow as an artist, Stephanie is continually seeking new challenges, such as learning flash animation and AutoCAD to add to her already impressive skill set.

Separate from her teaching, Stephanie has exhibited work across the Metro Detroit area. Even though she works in a variety of media, Stephanie utilizes drawing as her medium of choice. Incorporating graphite powder, charcoal, watercolor and ink, Stephanie's artwork focuses on a blend of realism and surrealism, showcasing the natural and scientific world. With artistic influences such as Rene Magritte, Stephanie's work is an embodiment of her natural curious nature, and leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. Her most recent work titled We Were Once an Embryo is a collection of mixed media drawings that vary in size, but all maintain a sense of intimacy in their attention to detail and expressive mark making. In her words, "My work represents the connection that we, as humans, hold with nature and out ability to create nature's likeness from our fingertips. A simple object such as a piece of paper can bend into a form or skin that resembles the look of life, but yet it's not real. A child's hand is the purest artistic tool that drips creativity and imagination."

Raised within a family of artists and teachers, Stephanie has never lost touch with how important art is for children and their development. "Growing up, creativity started at a very early age. My first drawing teacher was my father who was a previous graphic designer. We would take turns sketching and collaborating ideas in a shared sketchbook. I explored painting on my own and remember working on my miniature easel in the kitchen while my mother cooked." Artistry runs deep in her family, along with her father, both of Stephanie's great grandmothers were self-taught painters. It is both this lineage and exposure to the world of art, and art making at such an early age, that has instilled within her a deep appreciation for the necessity of art as a form of both self-expression and intellectual stimulation. It is with this knowledge, that Stephanie bases her entire teaching philosophy, a belief that all of us should never stop learning and evolving.

Whether teaching the core fundamentals of drawing, the complex nature of working with color, or the techniques necessary to painting in a realistic style, Stephanie creates an atmosphere in her classes that allows all of her students to find their artistic voice, and to express themselves regardless of whether they are just picking up a paintbrush for the first time or have been for many years. This upcoming Summer Term Stephanie will once again be teaching a variety of classes for all age ranges and skill levels, as well as PCCA's Creativity Camps. Her caring and thoughtful approach to teaching along with her immense talents as an artist, are sure to inspire.

Taken from Paint Creek Center for Arts Summer 2014 Catalog - Featured Artist: Stephanie Kent

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