REStevensArt I am an artist, with a passion for photo-realism and a compulsion to share it with the world! Tour my gallery-o-pieces available and see some of the most unique contemporary art infiltrating the world today! A visit to my site - www.restevensart.com is sure to enlighten and can also get you on the mailing list for my occasional e-mail "noozledder"! Thanks bunches for visiting!
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
award winning artist, roderick e. stevens was handed his first set of oils at the age of seven and his love for painting was promptly born. initially his works followed more abstract expression since well . . . he was only seven. in high school, he began exploring realism, and simultaneously discovered acrylics which seemed to better accomodate his impatient nature at the time. since then he has worked primarily in acrylics on masonite and canvas.
early on however, film making grabbed his attention, and cinematography became his career of choice, nudging painting to the status of ocassional hobby for many years. during a particularly stressful point early in his career, roderick recalls his emotional struggle to re-visit painting.
"due to my warped sense of responsibility, for the longest time i struggled with giving myself permission to paint. i can remember walking out of an art supply store empty-handed six times before finally reconciling that it was o.k. to replenish some paints and brushes. we live in an ill society, and I was no exception!"
while his work directing the photography of numerous indie films, shorts, and music videos continued to grow, his emotional and spiritual sense remained quite out of balance until a cataclysm of personal turmoil knocked him off his feet in the spring of 2004. "while blessed to find mind altering substances unappealing, i nevertheless discovered that i was in desperate need of emotional transformation and a spiritual connection. i began recovery . . one of my very first steps in recovery was to get myself back into something that I enjoyed . . something very personal, and expressive of "i". honestly, i was in no mood to paint, but i forced myself to start on Rod On Bike. by the time i had finished it, i remembered how much pleasure i felt from painting, and my passion was officially re-kindled! from that day forward i began painting again at every opportunity. i knew i had to do something with this, and so i started attending art shows around the southwest, and have been having the time of my life ever since. in my search for a spiritual relationship, many people helped me to see how God had a hand on my brush, and i feel incredible gratitude at being able to share that now."
roderick quickly embraced the challenges of refractions and reflections. as a cinematographer, ive always been drawn to such distortions of light and color as found in reflections off of chrome and other shiny surfaces, and in the refractions of glass. for my early pieces, i dove head first into some of the most challenging, but organically beautiful subjects old coke bottles! Youll also find that I continue to adore artifacts of photography, and include them in my paintings, such as shallow depth of field, and motion blur. These limitations cannot be seen by the naked eye, but are rather only captured in photography.
since choosing to acknowledge his gift, roderick has been honored to receive several awards, been invited to show at the highly prestigious coda gallery in palm desert, california and was recently commissioned to paint one of the marble horse sculptures for the trail of the painted ponies project, which will most likely be reproduced into the collectible figurines by early 2007. meanwhile, his work can be found in several galleries, shops, and displays in palm springs, las vegas, tucson, scottsdale, carefree, prescott, sierra vista, and at the 55 main gallery in bisbee, as well as on his website at www.restevensart.com, and at many fine art festivals from los angeles to houston.
ABOUT THE WORK:
while he works as a cinematographer primarily in the los angeles area, roderick continues to escape to his home in southeastern arizona as often as possible. it is there in his quiet desert that these paintings are created.
"i enjoy using all of the tools available to me, including my understanding of lighting and optics in order to create unique images that invoke a sense of heightened reality. i believe my cinematography and painting serve each other, and in both, i enjoy seeking new challenges for myself. For instance, I enjoy exploring the way we see reflections and refractions of light and color. optically, i have always enjoyed the softness resulting from a shallow depth of field, as well as the different types of "bokeh", which refers to those discs created by points of light that are thrown out of focus."
these prints are authentic, limited - edition reproductions from the original artwork. the replication process was overseen and approved by the artist himself, using only museum quality, archival Giclee pigments and the highest quality canvas, and represent the original works as accurately as possible.
subtle variations have been created in each piece for some individuality, and each print is hand signed and numbered by the artist. still addicted to creating, he also enjoys making his own frames which often encase these reproductions. each print is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
when you purchase someones artwork, you are not simply acquiring a piece of decor, but rather investing in the artist and in the concept of art itself. roderick strives to bring as much value to his pieces as possible. "i have chosen only the highest quality process for reproduction, and limit the editions to 200 to give each piece lasting value. the certificate of authenticity and a brief description about each painting accompanies your piece so youll have more than just something to hang on your wall. i hope that my gift to you can be of value for many years to come."
