About the Artist


Cynthia L. Stephens has been an award winning artist for over 25 years.

A native of West Michigan, she studied at Kendall College of Art and Design.

Her path since then has been one of independent study,

learning skills in a variety of mediums. She has developed her own techniques

in the use of Pastel, Watercolor, Paper Making and Paper Casting.

Working with paper allows her to use skills in design, carving, casting, and painting.

Her images reflect her varied interests, including nature, and her Celtic heritage.

Cynthia's’ work resides in public and private collections throughout the United States,

Canada, Japan, Europe, Ireland, Scotland,

and Australia.

The Work

Original carving, mold being made from carving.

Raw pulp being pressed into mold. Excess water being removed.

Casting being removed from mold. Finished casting.

Each cast image starts out as a drawing. The drawing is then transformed

into a carving from which the mold is made. Raw pulp is pressed

into the mold and the water removed. The casting is then allowed to dry.

Once dry the casting is painted with several coats of paint in order to achieve

the desired finish. Abstracts are formed from sheet of handmade paper

while it is still damp. These are also dried and painted.

When the paint is dry the image be it casting or abstract is assembled

on a backing board along with handmade, hand painted, and/or imported papers.

The placement of the image, colors, and embellishments must all work together to

create a strong visual experience. The final step of shadow box matting strengthens

the 3 dimensional effect.