Stephanie Schafer – 10 Art Competition

Artist Portfolio Magazine’s 10 Art Competition

Stephanie Schafer – Lakewood, WA
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What started out as a creative display for my antique hats turned into an entire collection. After spending years of becoming self-aware of my emotions and taking ownership of the way that I feel, the collection Under My Skin- The Mental Self was formed. Each piece is my best representation of an emotion that I have had or experienced in some form of my life. Pulling back the skin showing the deepest of emotions on the outside, no hidden truths. So much time was spent being insecure with the way that I feel. Why was that? Why was I so afraid of being ok with those feelings? Was it judgement?
After years of studying myself and my reactions, I took that experience and made a format to how each piece was to be created. Starting with the long drawn out process of flipping through magazines to find details. Each texture or color would be a symbol of the piece I am creating. The rock representing the rough hard times, or sheer curtains when I felt free and weightless and so on. This process takes a couple weeks then I start to build layers.
Layer overlapping layer like the layers we have inside, my creation starts to form. Always starting with the face, this is how I see myself. The details here are so important because the face never lies. This is my truth that I want to show. Continuing to the back of the head, this is how others see me. I always end at the neck. The neck is just as important to me, it’s what helps me keep my head up.
I’ve been working on this collection for the past few months which currently has 9 pieces and hope to finish it by the end of the year.