“I’m typically the quiet one in a room, until I get to know you. I'm not shy, just reserved. My art is my ‘introvertness’ screaming extrovertly. I see the world in texture – a kaleidoscope of knife and brush strokes. Each colorful stroke is my emotion played out on canvas.”

Stephanie Meares was born and raised in Winter Haven, Florida. Her artistic endeavors began in her youth, sketching prodigiously. She set aside her creative interests to pursue a career in the insurance industry and acquire cum Laude degrees in Criminal Justice and Paralegal Studies. Stephanie rediscovered her ability and love for expressing herself through art while raising her two daughters. She explored new mediums and creativity blossomed though acrylics, oils, resin, fluid, and textures. The free-flowing style of her abstract works draw inspiration from the fluid movements of the paints and textures. She continues to expand her still-life portraiture drawing from Impressionist techniques to immerse viewers in her vivid mind’s eye. Art took on a new dimension for Stephanie in 2017 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Art calmed Stephanie as life stormed on around her. Its cathartic effect provided the crucial emotional outlet for her physical and mental healing. In the years since her diagnosis, she’s provided art for display in cancer clinics where it has helped patients get lost in color and movement. In her future, she dreams to one day have enough studio space to help others overcome their obstacles therapeutically through art. Stephanie, married 13 years to Air Force Technical Sergeant Mike Meares, has had the privilege of being a solo artist at The Firehouse for the Del Rio Council for the Arts gallery in Del Rio, Texas, where international audiences enjoyed her works.

Liberty University

2018