Peter Stephens: You Are My Favorite Work of Art

Peter Stephens creates his paintings entirely freehand atop an underlying grid of commercial paint samples. He then approaches and explores color relationships with acrylic paint, line by line. 

In this body of work, Stephens finds himself especially focused on the phenomenon of optical color blending and subtleties of modulations. His freehand process is integral to the perception of these effects - they appear as the paintings develop.

While an intuitive discovery happens during his process, deliberate references contribute to a tapestry of rich cultural histories. Textile and mosaic references are clear, and within each painting, there are vignettes that evoke places, time, memories, and emotions.