Bio
Stevie Shepard is a Senior at the University of North Florida, majoring in Fine Art with a minor in Marketing. Her work has been exhibited around Jacksonville, including the University of North Florida’s “Juried Student Exhibition” and the “Sustainable Earth Juried Exhibition” at Atlantic Beach. Additionally, she was a finalist for the national contest of the “Science Without Borders Art Challenge” by the Living Oceans Foundation. She received the 2D Prize for the “Annual Juried Student Exhibition” and was given Honorable Mention in the “Reimagined Materials Student Exhibition” at the University of North Florida.
Her work has a concentration in oil painting and utilizes color psychology to add tension to each piece. Overall, she strives to display her vision of the world as a queer neurodivergent person through her art.
Artist Statement
My work heavily relies on color theory and high saturation to add atmosphere and a sense of tension to each piece. My intention is to make work that is psychological in nature while exploring themes of memory and nostalgia with a focus on human connection. I work from photos that I take myself of the people and world around me, so each piece is connected to a significant memory of mine.
As someone that is neurodivergent and struggles with mental health, I often find it difficult to live in the moment. I find myself constantly fearing when these happy times will end and they will just become memories that I will be nostalgic for. Through me altering my images, I am attempting to show how intensely I feel in these moments, as both happiness and a since of dread overtake me and impact my view of events.
Stevie Shepard 