Judi Stein | Spring Brook Studios
Artist’s Statement
Being with nature has always been a source of inspiration, spirituality, and tranquility for me. Even as a young child, I often sought refuge in nature by walking to a beautiful pond near my home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when I needed to gather my thoughts, soothe my hurt feelings, or strengthen my sense of myself. Throughout my life, my love of nature has inspired me to write poetry or dabble in various crafts, but I never dreamed of becoming an artist. Instead, I studied biology and psychology, and I have worked as an educator, therapist, and mindfulness teacher in the Boston area. I love my work, which has been immensely enriching and fulfilling. But more recently, I have become aware of a creative spirit inside of me that has needed some attention and a path for expression.
So, a number of years ago, after seeing three deeply inspiring plays about art (The Blue Flower, Red and Art), my husband and I decided to try our hand at painting. Actually, it was Ed’s spur-of-the-moment idea, one lazy summer weekend, to drive to Michaels, buy some basic supplies, and teach himself to paint! (“After all, how hard could it be?”) But I just couldn’t be left out of all of the fun, so as soon as he set up an easel, took out a canvas, and started painting, I grabbed a paint brush and started creating my own work of art on the same canvas! From that moment on, I fell in love with oil painting. With the wonderful encouragement and instruction from Ernest Stonebraker, Chris Volpe, and Paul George, I have been devoted to honing my skills as an artist and working in my home studio every day that I can.
Painting has been a wonderful way for me to express my appreciation of and connection with nature from a place deep inside. Painting enables me to slow down, to see more clearly in the moment, and to tap into the creative spirit within. I hope that my paintings will spark in others the same joy and energy with which they are created.
This beautiful Navajo prayer so aptly describes the feelings that I have when I am painting.
As I Walk with Beauty
As I walk, as I walk
The universe is walking with me
In beauty it walks before me
In beauty it walks behind me
In beauty it walks below me
In beauty it walks above me
Beauty is on every side
As I walk, I walk with beauty
Judi’s website
Being with nature has always been a source of inspiration, spirituality, and tranquility for me. Even as a young child, I often sought refuge in nature by walking to a beautiful pond near my home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when I needed to gather my thoughts, soothe my hurt feelings, or strengthen my sense of myself. Throughout my life, my love of nature has inspired me to write poetry or dabble in various crafts, but I never dreamed of becoming an artist. Instead, I studied biology and psychology, and I have worked as an educator, therapist, and mindfulness teacher in the Boston area. I love my work, which has been immensely enriching and fulfilling. But more recently, I have become aware of a creative spirit inside of me that has needed some attention and a path for expression.
So, a number of years ago, after seeing three deeply inspiring plays about art (The Blue Flower, Red and Art), my husband and I decided to try our hand at painting. Actually, it was Ed’s spur-of-the-moment idea, one lazy summer weekend, to drive to Michaels, buy some basic supplies, and teach himself to paint! (“After all, how hard could it be?”) But I just couldn’t be left out of all of the fun, so as soon as he set up an easel, took out a canvas, and started painting, I grabbed a paint brush and started creating my own work of art on the same canvas! From that moment on, I fell in love with oil painting. With the wonderful encouragement and instruction from Ernest Stonebraker, Chris Volpe, and Paul George, I have been devoted to honing my skills as an artist and working in my home studio every day that I can.
Painting has been a wonderful way for me to express my appreciation of and connection with nature from a place deep inside. Painting enables me to slow down, to see more clearly in the moment, and to tap into the creative spirit within. I hope that my paintings will spark in others the same joy and energy with which they are created.
This beautiful Navajo prayer so aptly describes the feelings that I have when I am painting.
As I Walk with Beauty
As I walk, as I walk
The universe is walking with me
In beauty it walks before me
In beauty it walks behind me
In beauty it walks below me
In beauty it walks above me
Beauty is on every side
As I walk, I walk with beauty
Judi’s website