Stephanie Kornfeld Unlimited

Seeds of Sleep

Painted on a textured board, Seeds of Sleep combines just a few elements to make a visual lullaby: dandelion puff, stars, night sky, moon, shade and eyelids at half-mast. It remind me of that moment when the waking world leaves us. (2010)

Ribbon

This is an experiment with circles and pattern and negative space. Sometimes it looks like turquoise jewelry. Sometimes it looks like something held up against the sky. Hung by a mirror it looks like the face of an eagle. This piece was built upon a textured canvas. I wanted to make the impression of the texture change depending upon the viewer's perspective. (2010)

Regina

This woman is the final result of many layers of creation. Up close you can see the layers of paint that preceded her; giving her depth, shape and scars. Queen of her realm, Regina only sees what is nearby. Her thoughts are in the distance. She is ready for anything. (2010)

Refracted

This is one more experiment with making paint look bright. — Not just white or light, but the art of making one part of a painting shine. I allowed gravity to work with diluted paints to give me a grid-like structure. After that I worked with the colors and textures of the paint to let the light define depth and radiance. (2010)

Purple Rose

There are a million ways to paint a rose. This one started with a black background. I wanted to get beyond the usual “pretty” thing and capture the depth and meditative aspect of looking into a flower. I chose to surround it with a border of different aspects of the rose to make the meditation more complete. (2010)

Presenting the Universe

This piece was developed from several layers of texture and color. Starting on a fresh black surface, the image of the woman revealed herself in a translucent dress. The circles formed in the background and her gesture included everything. (2010)

Orchid

I've spent most of my adult life living with orchids. I rarely draw or paint them, because I've never felt that I could do them justice. With the right size and shape of art board, I decided at last to give it a try. This is a fairly common phalaenopsis — and yet it's a spectacularly complex and lovely flower. This is one of several in a series — that may yet take years of work, on my humble attempt at capturing botanical beauty. (2010)

Optic Nerve

I like to play with geometric shapes and bright colors — and I also like the idea of making something that looks technical but isn't. This piece is a result of those ideas on canvas. It reminded me of an eye: retina, iris cornea brain stuff — and all of the ways we connect to the world visually. (2010)

Jungle Flower

My friend Gary took me out to buy some new boards to paint on because in the process of doing several reality-based paintings, he thought I deserved a chance to “cut loose” again. Jungle Flower is the first large piece I did on one of those boards. It was painted from a black background and started with several large gestures with large brushes. The rest grew from the atmosphere of green, red and yellow.

Some say there's an alien hiding in there. (2010)

In The Red

This board sat for several months painted with just one layer of red and gold. Finally I got inspired to add some black, blue, orange, white and yellow — and a couple of different reds to give it some form. Mission accomplished: In the Red gives an interesting view of layers and depth. (2010)

I Don't Know What it is Either

I played with some primary colors against a black background. The various weighs of line and random forms filled out the board nicely. As I worked on it, I found that different parts looked better with more definition and compliments of color. Beyond that, the title is self-explanatory. (2010)

Homage to Haring

I love the work of Keith Haring. His figures and the way they seem to move are wonderful. He will be missed. I found with a limited palette and some bold gestures I could share a similar spirit. (2010)

Autumn Evening

I made this one when the evenings just started to get crisp. I wanted to extrapolate on the feeling of the change in the earth and the way the trees catch the wind without being literal. A few gestures created the balance and flow of this piece. The rest of the work went into making it contrast, sparkle and shine. (2010)

Jelly Bean

Sangria

Red Clay

Cacophany

Rumble & Shock

Malachite

Plum Fire

Zigzag Blues

Eclipse

Wild Thing

Boogie for Strings

Seahorse

Seahorse started with dissatisfaction with another work in progress, and a photo of a seashorse.

Dragon's Landing

Dragon's Landing was created from lighter colors against a deep blue paper background. The intent was to find movement and shadow in the realm of the lighter colors. The dragons took care of themselves.

Evenning Mare

Evening Mare was made mostly by petting oil paints. After prepping the canvas and blocking out the colors in a general way, this chestnut mare revealed herself with the touch of some light and shadow.

Space Junk from Planet 10

Space Junk from Planet Ten is another excursion into outer space. I used Planet Ten as a reference from The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai — one of my favorite movies. In this case, Planet 10 is a hot place with some weird stuff going on, which seems about right. The circle of the planet started in 2007, and it took me until 2009 to get the junk right.

Full Moon

Full Moon was the result off attempting to capture how I see colors at night. It's hard to describe them in verbal terms, but they're there. I also wanted to capture that feeling of feeling moonlight on one's skin. I can be awoken by the touch of moonlight. It's cooler than sunlight, but can still be felt at a tactile level.

Grey Vision II

Grey Vision I and Grey Vision II is the second couplet in the Grey Series quartet. These go further into the play of red and yellow against the grey background. Here light is replaced with color and movement.

Grey Vision I

Grey Vision I and Grey Vision II is the second couplet in the Grey Series quartet. These go further into the play of red and yellow against the grey background. Here light is replaced with color and movement.

Grey Windows II

Grey Windows I and Grey Windows II are part of a couplet. To some extent they were inspired by Rothko. I like the idea that a simple line with color can be very expressive and create a mood. Even more interesting is that it can create dimension. The yellows and reds added to these paintings play on the ways that light, shadow and color create movement.

Grey Windows I

Grey Windows I and Grey Windows II are part of a couplet. To some extent they were inspired by Rothko. I like the idea that a simple line with color can be very expressive and create a mood. Even more interesting is that it can create dimension. The yellows and reds added to these paintings play on the ways that light, shadow and color create movement.

Orange Sun Jr.

Orange Sun Jr. was done on paper to blend some of the colors and elements I liked about Orange Sun and Full Moon. I wanted to get the penetrating warmth of some of the Sun series and I liked the rings that radiate from Full Moon.

Face on Black

Face on Black was an experiment of bringing facial features out from a black background using contrast only.

Face on Black With Pink

Face on Black with Pink was an experiment of bringing a face forward and including a fleshy color from a black background.

Solitude

Solitude was one of my first experiments with Latex paint. The white space with blue and the varieties of red give an interesting contrast between warmth and cold.

Quadrants

Quadrants started in 2002. Initially it started looking very fleshy. Over time it's turned into a playful abstract. I like how the foreground looks like a thrusting chunk of machinery and the blue and whit at the top gives the feeling of depth and openness.

Yellow Embrace

Yellow Embrace is mostly yellow paint on deep green paper. I like what happens when you put a component of a color against the blended background. In this case, it looks like a glowing pillow of warmth.

The Touch

The Touch is the result of playing with black paper and using latex paint to make the outline of a hand from a string of paint. It's fun to realize that The Touch was the result of keeping the brush from touching the page.

Dragon Dreams

This painting is a jumble of images, the way dreams leave us with an assortment of people and elements that may not be in any order. It's a fun painting to find images in — just keep in mind there may be more dragons in there than you expect.

Orange Sun

I wanted to see what I could do to brighten up a black board. Most of my Sun paintings start with white; this one came out of the idea of inner light and how “Shining our Spirit” comes out in different layers.

Cross Section

started simply with red on black almost like a cauldron. Once I started to add color, it filled up with depth and movement and got interesting.

Western Light

uses latex paint with a lot of water to let it separate and blend. This particular palette reminded me of a trip I took out west in 1976.

Sprockets

grew out of playing with black and white on the same brush and making teeth out of them. With a tad of red and a bunch of yellow, the teeth came out to play.

Torso

I shaped this torso from black, silver, white and pink paint. I wanted to catch the luminosity of the body as well as the privacy.

New Moon

plays with cool colors on a dark background. Fiddleheads with curlicues grew out of shades of green, yellow and blue.

Wood Nymph

was discovered in an experiment with black and white paint on a single brush. Since it gave the impression of a wood grain, I took greens, gray, beige and brown to balance out the picture, and who should show up, but a wood nymph!

Sunshine Blue Sky

was another experiment with making a board bright. There's blue and purple in the sky and I threw in some sap green to add chlorophyll.

Hawk & Dove

grew out of several layers on a long board. Eventually the lumps and lengths of paint lent themselves to birds. This was created in the process of Bush leaving office and Obama assuming office. Greenery and life came onto this painting with the Dove.

Riptide

started from the gift that my friend, Gary gave me in 2006. It was an old write-on-wipe-off board with the back of smooth Masonite. This painting has been through many incarnations, starting with a layer of primer then patching plaster, then a mostly pink and yellow painting — later some phases I don't even remember at this point. When I finally got some nice, art quality acrylic Pthalo Blue it started to take shape into something interesting. By defining where the concentrations of colors pooled, and other zones that were translucent, I cultivated a tidal pool and a riptide was revealed.

Mommie's

was commissioned by my mother, Hulen to fill a large space in her livingroom. We went shopping and chose the yarns, feathers and beads for this piece. Instead of being designed around a crocheted core circle, Mommie's grew in crocheted waves.

Amethyst

If you look closely at an amethyst, it's not just purple, but has a range of purples and white and enough translucency that surrounding colors come through the stone. This piece captures some of those elements.

Spirit of Moon and Sea

was inspired by the colors and textures of the beach. The beauty of the yarns I found included the rough textures like sand and the verigated greens of seaweed. I found some shells and a seagull feather to complete the piece.

Broadwing

I found the yarns for this piece at a shop in Plymouth, MA (which has since gone out of business). I saw a Broadwing Hawk fly above and wanted to capture the shape of its wings in flight in the colors of the fall; the blue of the sky and the warm colors of the leaves.

Ready

She is, are you?

Certainly

This expression is open and affirmative and looks like it's in positive motion.

Poised

This doodle is poised and ready for something. I like the balance of the lines on the page on this one.

Really

This is a doodle with a nice, positive attitude.

Airport Girl

I've drawn this face many times, but one day I was picking up my brother at the airport, and there she was! This face was drawn before I saw the girl in real life.

Oh no

Most people have felt like this at some time.

Rachel

is a doodle of no one that I know in particular. — I just stood back and the name “Rachel” came to mind.

Vermillion

This is one of my few pieces done in oil paints. It's basically a finger-painting, and while the forms are not defined by lines, the piece has enough movement and balance, that it keeps getting hung up.

Innerspace

was made from some paints used in renovating my old residence. I was experimenting with the use of a sponge in this piece and liked how the colors interacted with each other.

Choppy Water

was made from the same palette as Uprooted with some greens added. It reminds me of a beautiful day, whale-watching while the boat shifts and the glare of the sun gets caught on the water.

Oak Tree

came out of my experiment with trying to capture radiant light. In this case, I wanted to include layers of dark and peel back some of the paint that began the process. This glowing oak with a ruddy trunk and layered background came to stand alone.

Morning Glory

My mother, Hulen presented me with the challenge of painting radiant light. Her idea was with warm colors, but I felt drawn to the cooler ones. With radiance in mind and blues and purples to play with, this flower grew.

Uprooted

Between house-sitting and moving in 2006 I found the opportunity to process these exeperiences visiually. The home I left was a place I had lived for 30 years. Some of the abstract images represent experiences left behind with my old home.

Reclining Body

reminds me of acupuncture. The body is yellow and the patterns of pain are in black and red. Yellow and blue are the meridians and points of healing.

Star Cavern

was done on the rough side of a sheet of Masonite. I like how the colors pop out of a black background. This painting plays with perspective by highlightin the distance with a spiral and suggesting figures in the foreground.

Snow Drift

This painting came down like a heavy snowstorm. Just white and a couple of blues, and it all settled into a snowbank by a tree at night.

Chameleon

The foundation of this painting in guache was a circle — started as a Medicine Wheel. By the time I put some colors on the inside and some on the outside, I discovered I had created a lens and a statement about adaptability.

Sunrise

This grew out of an experimentation with magic markers. You can also see in this drawing what 4-year-old Allison May called “the bones of the Earth” .

Sow's Ears

After painting pink and a few other colors on black, I stood back and recognized the shapes I created: Sow's Ears. Pearls before swine and silk purses to follow.

Martian

Instead of being based upon Mars, the Red Planet; this is based on the cartoon cliche of “little green men” . This painting came together with the color of the clouds. The little green guy was a random occurance, but there he sits, crouched in the middle.

Gary's Valentine

Gary is my Sweetie. This is his. I did what I could to make it look fleshy and throb. If you want to buy it, talk to him. gary (at) dryfoo (dot) com

Calliope

These colors remind me of a carnival. It's abstract, but has movement and balance.

Swamp

came from the gift of some orange and light blue paints. I like how together they not only contrast, but create a fog.

Magenta Boogie

was made by playing with blue, white and magenta latex paint on a white foam board. Standing back, you can see forms in motion.

Cavern

was formed by a variety of light colors that had been used in my home against a black background. An off-kilter spiral adds to the depth and a figure can be seen as a shadow.

Pink Sun

starts with a circle in the upper middle and then curlicues and little waves and patterns come out to play. This one makes me think of rose-colored glasses and valentines.

Green Sun

was inspired by the acquisition of some luminescent paint. The movement and drip of the paints make for an interesting play on space. Greens have a lovely range of values and depth. Yellow, gold and white engage it in activity.

Moon Offering

Is painted on burgundy paper. This was painted as an abstract with a limited palette. The flow of the paint created this scene with a moon and the being serving and those being served.

Secret Place

Is that little black area where the color doesn't go and is mostly undefined. This is the seat of creativity. It's a place without and within where we are not necessarily “secure” yet we find peace.

Green Set

Plays with varieties of greens with some white and pink to add contrast: Just like the sun sets greenery has its cycles and in this case, reflections as well.

Red Horizon

was an experiment with latex on canvas. The layers of whites on white and blended colors gave this piece a depth that was interesting. It is akin to Red Wave and Red Swirl in palette, but this horizon is on the dawning ocean instead of the ocean at night.

Sneaker

This is one of those surprising experiments that work out pretty well. As I've been working with layers I've discovered that a layer of paint on a canvas has a different quality than a layer of paint on a board. In this case, I peeled and sanded some paint off before adding more. The texture revealed a canvas and the rest reminded me of a foot and laces moving with it –hence the name “Sneaker”.

Swan Splash

This painting was the result of color at play. It's one of those where my focus was so totally on the process of working and watching the colors interact with each other, that the idea behind it was nonverbal. Only by letting the paint dry and stepping back, did I see the shape of a swan.

Dune

was made with a limited palette on burgundy paper. It reminded me of the book, Dune by Frank Herbert. To get by the enormous sectional sandworms, people have to walk without rhythm.

Santa (“Evening Corn” rotated)

is Evening Corn flipped on its side. What were leaves become a big bearded guy driving a sled through the night.

Evening Corn (“Santa” rotated)

is another small painting done on black paper. The colors and the patterns play with a perspective and aspect of night that I liked. Corn leaves are in the front and visible growing in the distance. Flipped on its side, this painting becomes Santa.

Transition

was done when I left one job and hadn't gotten another. It captures some of that grief and some of that steeliness that's required for moving on.

Untitled

This one is face I doodled that I ended up liking. It's of no-one in particular, but I like her poise and the way the lines fill the page.

Satyr

I was playing with a pencil one day and was enjoying the lines I was getting from the sides of the graphite. The roundness of the belly and the face were brought together with the more linear strokes. He's anatomically impossible, but he does seem to move. Just right for a mythical creature.

Glance

Faces are what I draw when I doodle. With a nice pen an expression can be captured well. This one is one of those that we all recognize, but is often fleeting.

Red Wave

takes up where Red Swirl leaves off. The wave is at its crescendo and there's either a person or a buoy (you decide) at the crest. I like how the surge of the wave seems so full and bloated that it can only recede at this point.

Candy World

was created by using magenta, blue, white and purple on gray paper. I enjoyed playing with the colors and shadows with brushes and sponges. It brought to my mind the colors and the feeling of being on Cape Cod where they sell salt-water taffies.

On The Beach

This piece was made from a palette of latex paints used in my home on a black piece of charcoal paper. It was created mostly as an abstract, but when I stood back, I could make out a figure on a beach and a bird. It reminded me of how at night, colors lose definition, and it takes a while to recognize what things are.

Red Swirl

This piece was painted on a piece of burgundy colored charcoal paper. When I don't know how else I want to begin, I find a circle is a great opener. This one grew into a spiral and found some balance in ground and “lightening”. The surge of this piece is continued in Red Wave.

Cirque

was the result of playing with latex paints on a piece of rust colored charcoal paper. I chose some earthy colors that shadowed one another well and found an interesting play between balance and movement with them. I had seen a few performances by Cirque Du Soleil and imagined this piece aspiring to that level of skill.

“Splat” with Croc & Bug

This was done on yellow paper. I just put the paint on there for the fun of it and when I stood back I saw the critter. The palette reminded me of a Crocodile tee-shirt that I used to sell at The Greenpeace Store when I managed a branch for them in Provincetown. This particular “Croc” has a narrow snout, more like a Cayman shows up on the right of the page, and the bug is just a splattering of black up high.

Meteoric Tracks

Another experiment on black paper with bright colors. This painting shows off the beauty of strings made with the paint. It puddles a bit where you begin and end. Like space, the possibilities and movement are endless.

Shooting

came from the choice of a few vibrant colors on a black page. I was pretty well steeped in the news of the day: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A lot of activity that didn't make sense.

Magenta Sunrise

literally grew out of a spill on paper. I was working on another painting with white and it spilled right on this piece of paper. I did what I could to work with the vitality and the brightness of the spill. It was a happy “accident”.

Flamingo

This painting was made up of a palette of colors used in my home. I enjoyed the way the variety of pinks interacted when put side-by-side. When I added black and white, it seemed that some very long necks became involved.

Flying Pig

grew from a pink and white blob on black paper. — Just wavy enough at the bottom to be mud; dynamic and shaped right above to be a flying pig. It's an artistic representation of lucky happenstance.

Peek-a-boo

Valentine

shows how it feels to be crazy in love and barely able to contain it. The expression is contained and serious, and the colors are joyful and explosive.

Shout

was made from a palette of colors I used to paint my family's home. I enjoyed playing with the patterns of dots and lines. It was fun to see how the expression on the face and the patterns around it worked to create an auditory picture.

Spring Trees I

(this work in progress)

Spring Trees II

(this work in progress)

Iris

(this work in progress)

Trinity

(this work in progress)

Green Peace

(this work in progress)

Underbrush

(this work in progress)

Reaching & Holding

(this work in progress)