Steph Blondet: A Visual Journey
Steph Blondet is a Puerto Rican visual artist based in Tampa, FL. Blondet creates contemporary paintings with sculptural elements that explore themes of personal growth, grief, and the societal pressures placed on women. These brightly colored, highly textured pieces are also a means for the artist to process her memories and experiences.
How did your creative journey begin?
My creative journey started when I was a kid. I had an uncle who attended the best art high school in Puerto Rico, and we would spend hours drawing and painting. He was the one that taught me a lot of drawing and painting tips. My parents saw my interest in the arts and enrolled me in private art classes when I was growing up. I would spend hours and hours drawing and painting and had so many sketchbooks as a kid. I was not only interested in fine arts, but also in the performing arts. I also took dance classes as a kid and performed all throughout college. Being creative has always been in my blood and I don’t remember a time when I was not creative.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I find most of the inspiration for my work in nature. I live in Florida, in front of a nature preserve, so I get lost walking the surrounding trails in my neighborhood. I take a lot of photos of plants, animals, lakes, and the sky. From there I get all the organic lines you can see in my work. When I’m not in nature and I’m in the city, I’m inspired by buildings and architecture. I look up at the buildings and I see forms that inspire the shapes in my pieces. Everywhere I look, I’m inspired by something. Either the lines, shapes, texture, or color, inspiration is everywhere. Also, I keep a sketchbook where I draw shapes and compositions almost every day. These sketches can later serve as inspiration too.
How has your work evolved over the last few years?
My work has evolved but when I look back, the foundation of my interests have always been the same. I’ve always painted abstract pieces full of color and form. It wasn’t until late 2022 that I started exploring sculptural aspects to include in my art pieces. One part that is different now, is that I’ve become more intuitive. I let my intuition and life experiences guide where I add the shapes and the sculptural aspects. In terms of color, I let my feelings choose what I need. Sometimes I’m feeling down and I need bright colors, and sometimes I feel anxious and I need neutral colors. I listen to what I need and that is how I create instead of planning to the last details like I was doing in the past.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
A typical day in my studio varies but a good day starts in the early morning. I make my favorite drink and while sipping through it, I draw on my sketchbook. This process is very intuitive and is a way for me to process what I’m going through in life. I draw shapes, lines, and sometimes even illustrations. Sometimes these sketches inspire new work. When I’m done with my drink, I hop on the computer to do admin things like responding to emails, scheduling social media posts, doing outreach, etc. I usually do this for 2-3 hours and then I grab a quick lunch. After lunch is when my painting practice begins. I continue paintings that I’m working on, start new pieces for new collections, or paint for fun. I’m in my studio every single day and I make myself paint for at least one to two hours every single day.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
All my life experiences have impacted my work as an artist. Throughout my life I’ve always kept a journal where I write about specific moments in my life and how those experiences have made me feel. Because of this, I remember parts of my life and I let that memory guide what I’m going to create. I like to think about my work as my visual journey, where I share a piece of my story in a visual way. Most of my pieces have a description talking about this specific moment in my life and how it made me feel. Also, having worked as a graphic designer in corporate America for many years, has impacted the way I create the shapes in my work, what color combinations look good, and how clean my work is.
How has social media impacted your work?
Social media has enabled me to see parts of the world I didn’t know existed, meet people that otherwise I wouldn’t have met, and be curious about the creative journey. It has open possibilities that I wouldn’t have the interest of exploring and has helped me grow creatively. It has helped me to stay accountable and to make my practice a priority. Seeing other creatives following their passions, and how social media has open doors for them, has served me as motivation to follow my dreams.
How does the combination of sculpture and painting affect your process?
The combination of sculpture and painting is my meditative practice. It teaches me to be patient with myself and to be open to new possibilities. Combining different aspects like sculpture and painting, makes me think of my life. It helps me think about my past, my present, and my future. The ups and downs it has, how we grow as individuals, how to heal, and be a better human being. The combination of both, makes me be in the moment because as an intuitive artist, I have to be present to make decisions on the spot.
Website: stephblondet.com
Instagram: @stephblondetart