Stephanie Barenz

I spent the week writing thank you notes to my collectors and it has me feeling all the feels! I want to tell all of you - whether you bought a painting, collected a print, took a workshop, liked a post, or offered words of encouragement- how much your support has meant to me this past year. I’ve been reflecting on the last 18 months since I transitioned from art teacher to full time artist and the only reason I am still able to do this is because of all of you.

Being a business owner can be stressful, a bit scary, and involves a lot of risk. But because of your love and support I have been able to pursue this dream. I don’t take that for granted and want to thank you a million times over.

I hope that being part of this small community has brought some creativity, calmness, and grounding vibes to your day.

Happy Holidays to you and yours! I hope your week is filled with love and light. 🌟 🌲 🕊️

I released some hand-painted ornaments to my list this morning. I started with 50 at the beginning of the holiday season and only have nine left. If you want to add one to your collection you can do so through this link. They are $35 plus a flat rate shipping fee of $15. https://www.stephaniebarenz.com/ornaments

I have loved delivering and shipping out prints of “The Bank” this holiday season. I just dropped one off at a collector’s house this evening and so enjoyed seeing where they were going to hang it.

Thank you to everyone who collected work from me this holiday season! It is because of you that I can pursue this path. I don’t take it for granted and appreciate all the love you have shown me during this past year!

After finishing my latest collection, Un/Inhabited, I started to read David Whyte’s anthology, The House of Belonging.

He speaks about being present and how the landscape shapes us. Many of the artwork titles in this collection are inspired by his work.

Un/Inhabited is on display at the Overture Gallery I until March 10, 2024.

You are the sum of the places that made you 🍂🐚🌾

Give the gift of home: “Spring Harbor”

Spring Harbor” celebrates Madison, WI’s very own Lake Mendota. Gift this to a friend to remind them of who they are and the place that made them.

___

Shop Spring Harbour and other gifts of self-care on my website. Enter HOLIDAYSALE20 at checkout to get 20% off through Monday Nov 27th. (Link in bio)

I am trying something new this year and will be at two Christkindl markets offering some giftable items for the holidays. I am also currently preparing for my exhibition at Overture Galleries on Dec 12th where I will be releasing a new collection of paintings. I can’t wait to show all of you what I have been working on for these events! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend filled with rest, pie, and sleeping in. 😴 🥧 🧘

My Holiday Sale is going on this week. You have about a week left to get 20% off all of my prints with the code HOLIDAYSALE20.

Life is full of chaos — as you might have seen in the stores this week! My art is created to bring you calm amid the chaos of life.

Use this sale to buy art that helps you ground yourself each day 🌊🐚

Link to shop in bio.

The Bank is inspired by a moment where I stood before a lake. It made me feel small but it also made me feel grounded. I felt held and assured by the largeness of that lake.

The sheer scale of it made me feel at home.

The Bank is now available as a 40 x 60-inch print. At this size, it's more than an artwork, it's a lesson in grounding yourself.

A lesson in finding peace and certitude in art 🌾

Stephanie Barenz I create paintings and prints about the way our external surroundings form our internal landscapes.

The Bank helps you feel connected to home even when home is far away.

It’s my largest print (40 x 60 in) available in rolled and framed options.

The original is also still available 🦋🍂

https://www.stephaniebarenz.com/purchase-prints/p/the-bank

BIG announcement 🌊⛰️

If you’re hanging art to honor the places you’ve felt at home, the art may as well be printed to the highest quality…

For the past few months, I’ve been working with to create a premium option for my prints.

The Bank is the first of many of my artworks that will be available in this format. I like how everyone sees something familiar. I have been told by some of you that it makes you feel at home.

- Available as a rolled or framed canvas
- Sizes up to 40 x 60 in
- Archival, pigmented inks
- Varnished with a matte finish to protect it from UVLs

Click here to view the print: https://www.stephaniebarenz.com/purchase-prints/p/the-bank

Keep an eye out for some behind the scenes of this process over the next week 👀

My paintings offer a sense of calm for the viewer, but that doesn’t mean I’m a calm person by nature. Are you?

I am turning forty this week and I am so grateful that I get to celebrate another year of living. I think forty is a good age to start sharing some musings with you. Musing seems like a forty-year-old thing to do, so with that being said, here are my musings from the studio this week:

This past summer I got to talk with a lot of people as they wandered into my tent at art fairs. One statement that I heard numerous times from my viewers was, “You must be such a centered and calm person.” I usually smile politely and say, “Thank you!” But the truth is, I don’t think my closest friends and family would describe me that way, and that is okay. I, like so many, struggle with anxiety and have had to find ways to deal with that. I am not a “naturally calm and centered person” but I do seek out routines and rituals that make me feel more at home in my body, mind, and physical surroundings. And this process is what I choose to make art about.

Some artists paint the things that they want to cultivate in their lives. Others put their most present and tactile emotions on display. Some only pose questions to their audience so as to start a conversation. For others, they reimagine a place, scenario, or different world. These are all valid and beautiful ways to create. In my creative practice, I reach for images, processes, and techniques that help me on the path to presence…

Read the rest of this musing on my blog.

https://www.stephaniebarenz.com/blog/musings-from-steph

October is my favorite month of the year in Wisconsin and I am looking forward to seeing you all out and about at these events! More info in my news & events link in my bio. 🍁 🖼️

I will exhibit the painting, “Everything In Its Place” along with the rest of my “A Walk With Water” series at the Charlevoix Waterfront Art Fair this Saturday. This might be the most unique setting I have exhibited this summer because the fair is situated near the shores of two lakes - Michigan and Charlevoix. I love that my booth and work will be surrounded by water- a perfect way to wrap up my last art fair this summer. If you happen to be in the area the fair is from 9-6pm in the East Park of Downtown Charlevoix, MI. Hope to see you there!

I am excited to announce that I will be participating in Madison's Art Fair on the Square this Saturday and Sunday (July 8th and 9th). I would love for you to join me at my booth (228) on Carroll Street for the release of my newest collection, “A Walk With Water”.

Here is some more info about my recent series:

“This series revolves around the transformative potential that arises from encounters with new and familiar spaces that are near bodies of water. In “A Walk With Water”, I merge imagery from my walks with abstract marks that are created through the process of stain painting. By layering these elements, I seek to capture the multi-dimensional experience of connecting with a place, whether it be an emotional, mental, or physical bond.

We can never go back to an exact experience as it once was. The act of walking can keep one grounded amidst life's constant changes. These paintings honor the places, times, and daily rituals that have felt like home so that as we move through life's challenges and changes, we don't lose touch with that sense of connectivity and calm.”

🖼️ I will continue to add paintings to this series through the end of 2023 as I exhibit at galleries and art fairs in Michigan, Kansas City, Louisville, and Madison.

📷 Go through the photos on this post to to see a map of my location and more art fair info.

📧 If you are on my collector’s list look out for my email on Friday to shop the collection early. If you aren’t on my list and would like to sign up for that you can do so through a link in bio.

I look forward to the possibility of seeing you at my booth! 😊

It is going to be an eventful summer/ early fall at Stephanie Barenz Studio. If you like to stop by at one of my events check out my list of art fairs, exhibitions, and local markets. Click on the link to learn more:

https://www.stephaniebarenz.com/news-events .

Hope to see you there and happy summer!

Compelling work by and Tom Uebelherr. Part of our 7th annual Art of Water exhibition that officially opens this Friday from 5:30-8:00!

Hope to see you all there! 💙🌊💙

📍2201 N Farwell Ave, Milwaukee, WI

We are also open today from 10:30-5:30 if you’d like to sneak in! 🌊☀️

Mark your calendars, art lovers! 🎨 I have some events that are coming up this month that I am excited about. I will be selling my prints at Market Mornings at the top of State Street in Madison on 4/15, 4/22, and 4/29 (adjacent to the Dane County Farmers Market).

Plus, I'm thrilled to be part of the Art of Water VII group exhibition at James May Gallery in Milwaukee which will open on 5/05. You are invited to the opening on 5/5 from 5:30-8pm.

Check out my News and Events page here to learn more:

https://www.stephaniebarenz.com/news-events

Can't wait to see you there! 😊

When I have collectors purchase a print or painting their next question is usually, “Where do I go to get it framed?”

You can check out my framing guide on my website which offers some DIY framing tips but I also wanted to offer you a list of 5 online framers that you will love.

And if you are looking for some artwork to frame you can visit my online print shop.

Links to the framing guide, blog post, and print shop are in the comments.

If you have some suggestions for online framers or frames you love I would love to hear them!

https://www.stephaniebarenz.com/blog/5-online-art-framers-that-you-will-love

I am continuing on my new blogging journey and this week I am providing you with a list of my favorite art related podcasts. Click on the link in my bio to go to my blog post. ❤️

(If my spouse had a nickel for every time I said “so I was listening to this podcast today…he would be living out his early retirement on a beach somewhere. 😆 🍹 🏝️
🙋‍♀️ Raise your hand if you can relate!)

Also feel free to drop your favorite podcast recommendations below. I would love to add them to my list!

In a world where nothing stays the same,
Water teaches us to rely on
change and movement
To hold us,
To ground us,
To make us feel at home.

These paintings are for those who are
grasping for something to hold onto in a sea of
transformation and change.

This series was created during a time when I was preparing to cross oceans and leave one home for another.

In some way, we are looking for a place to call home - a place to feel grounded, something we can hold onto. But life, like water, is filled with movement and change.

Perhaps that change is what we need to hold onto after all?

Hang these paintings as an affirmation or groundedness amid the constant movement of life.

Go to the link for the series, "Fleeting, Flowing, Flying"
in my bio to purchase or visit stephaniebarenz.com.

All paintings pictured here come framed, are 15 inches in diameter, and are $425 each.

I often get asked questions about how to develop creativity or new ideas. I decided to write a blog post to dig into this topic more and I had a lot of fun doing it! I am new to blogging and will be adding more of these articles in the future. This first one is called, “6 Ways to Nurture Your Creativity”

https://www.stephaniebarenz.com/blog/6-ways-to-nurture-your-creativity

These paintings are for those who are going through a time of transformation and change. This series was created during a time when I was preparing to cross oceans and leave a place that had become home for another. In some way, we are all looking for a place to call home – a place to feel grounded, something we can hold onto. But life, like water and air, is filled with
movement and change.

Perhaps that change is what we need to hold onto after all?

Hang these paintings as an affirmation of groundedness amid the constant movement of life.

About the paintings:

-This series has four different sizes and the paintings featured in this post all measure 12 inches in diameter.

- They are $275 each and they come with a unique, wooden, handmade, round frame.

-Shipping is billed after purchase and starts at $20.

-Link to purchase is in my bio or visit stephaniebarenz.com.

-DM me with any questions.     Œ Š Ž

This painting is from my most recent the series, Fleeting, Flowing, Flying and is one of my favorites!

This body of work is about the way places form us, especially those centered around bodies of water. The title of this piece is from the poem The Water-Fall by Henry Vaughan.

More about this painting:

Available for purchase.

$425 + shipping or 4 interest free payments of $106.25 with AfterPay.

Link to painting is in my bio or click on the product tag in this post.

Clear As Glass was created with acrylics, ink, and image transfers on canvas. It measures 15 inches in diameter. The painting is coated with a protective, UV varnish. The unique, wooden frame was crafted by a carpenter and is ready for hanging.

A signed certificate of authenticity is included and the painting is also signed on the back.

Shipping charges will be billed after checkout.

Message me with any questions you may have. 😊

Details.

Morning rays. 🌞

Grateful for this studio space in Shanghai that I have had for the last five years. I will be packing it up in less than a month and shipping its contents on an ocean freighter to the west coast and then it will go on a truck to Madison, WI. I am so looking forward to opening those boxes sometime this summer! 🌊⛴🚛📦🖌🖼🎨