The Artist’s Magazine – October 2019

ArtistsNetwork.com 75

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tephanieLaw’sworkinhabitstwo

worlds.Thefirstisfantastical—rich

withfictionalcharacters,unique,but

derivedfrommedieval,classicaland

contemporarysources.Thesecond

isthenaturalworldwithbotanicalsandbugs

fromtheenvironmentaroundherbutpre-

sentedwithanetherealqualityoftenfoundin

fantasyart.Blendingthereal,themagicaland

thetraditionalresultsinworksthatstandout

inboththefantasy-artcommunityandtheart

communityasa whole.

TWO ROADS CONVERGE

Law studied art in college but as an inter-

est secondary to her major. “I had picked

my university primarily for the computer

science program,” she says, “but I decided that

I needed to do art even if I wasn’t planning to

make a career out of it. The art program was

very much counter to what my own instincts

drove me to create, so it was a struggle to

find the balance of my own voice while push-

ing the limits of what was expected in the

program’s requirements.”

Although Law has been a painter from

a young age, pursuing an art career was not

advice those closest to her were quick to offer.

“The more pragmatic advisors in my life kept

telling me it was not a feasible path,” she

says. “For a short while I was deterred from

that goal, until I realized it was something

I couldn’t deny.” After three years working as

a software engineer, Law rolled the dice and

quit in order to pursue art full time. “It’s been

almost 20 years now,” she says, “and it’s the

best decision I’ve ever made.”

Law’s stint as a software engineer, how-

ever, wasn’t all for naught. Many of her

LEFT TO RIGHT

When Flowers

Dream I

watercolor, copper

leaf and gold leaf on

paper; 20x16

When Flowers

Dream II

watercolor, copper

leaf and gold leaf on

paper; 20x16

When Flowers

Dream III

watercolor, copper

leaf and gold leaf on

paper; 20x16