Moody Longhorn

Stephanie Jeanne Hardy is an artist currently living in Lone Tree, Colorado, USA. She specializes in contemporary animal artwork and custom portraiture, bringing beloved animals to life on canvas.


​Tell us about yourself and your background? 
I studied fine art at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington and continued my education at Seattle University, earning a degree in English Literature specializing in Indian and Southeast Asian Literature with a minor in Fine Arts.
I also studied Visual Arts at O’More College of Design in Tennessee as well as New York’s School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. After many years in the graphic design industry, I decided to take a leap into painting full-time.

Tell us about your work.   
I specialize in animal art and portraiture, often times incorporating textile designs into my compositions. I enjoy creating a fresh take on an otherwise traditional portrait by adding vintage floral details that compliment ​the subject. I love to work with oils, but occasionally use acrylic if I have time constraints.

What is unique about your work?
My life as an equestrian and my connection to animals affords me the ability to capture their character as well as anatomy in a special way. I like to incorporate a little bit of my childhood into each portrait by combining it with elements inspired by fabric designs, adding a unique touch to each piece.

Banx

Rabbit

"My life as an equestrian and my connection to animals affords me the ability to capture their character as well as anatomy in a special way."

Foxhounds On Houndstooth

Why is your work a good investment?
My artwork celebrates animals that we love, special pets, or wild life that brings joy to it’s viewer. The memories that are awakened by my art tend to outlast pieces that lean more towards trendy styles or colors, so I feel like my work is a great investment to add to your existing or growing art collection and will prove to be a timeless piece.

Tell us about some of your achievements.
I’m so proud to have had my equine artwork featured in American Art Collector Magazine, Nashville Arts, Horses in Art Magazine, and Art Galleries of the South. I have had the pleasure of participating in local art walks throughout Nashville and Franklin, Tennessee. I have been a featured artist in The Swan Ball, a prestigious charity event in Nashville. My artwork has also toured Santa Fe, New Mexico, where my horses were displayed at the Drury Hotel as well as the Hipico Horse Show and at the Santa Fe Export Showroom.

What are your sources of inspiration?
I am largely influenced by my life as an equestrian. I am constantly around horses, farm animals, dogs and various pets.
​All of these animals make their way into my artwork. I have found that horse lovers tend to be lovers of all animals and it is because of them that I branched out into painting dogs and various wild animals. My interest in textile designs stems from when my mother was a seamstress, and we would frequent fabric stores. I was mesmerized by patterns and textures of beautiful bolts of fabric and ribbons. I started incorporating textile designs into my animal portraits a few years ago and they have made their way into most of my pieces since. My favorite fabrics are vintage designs out of France and Italy, featuring bold colored florals. I also love traditional floral fabrics or wall papers designed by William Morris.

Alchemy (in room)

​What are you passionate about?
My life has revolved around horses for so long, it is absolutely one of my biggest passions.
​I have been a competitive show jumper for many years and still travel all over the U.S. to compete with my horses. Horses keep me grounded, as does painting and creating. Tapping into the things that make my soul whole, is the only way I know how to live a stable and happy life. I am also committed to being healthy and active, whether its strength training, cycling, paddle boarding or hiking. Supporting my body and mind so that I can continue to do the things I love is of the utmost importance.

"My artwork celebrates animals that we love, special pets, or wild life that brings joy to it’s viewer. The memories that are awakened by my art tend to outlast pieces that lean more towards trendy styles or colors."

Otis

Dapple Grey with Blanket

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Dairy Cow On Paisley

Cat

Pug Life

Hardy Sam, Libby & the Sloth

"Horses keep me grounded, as does painting and creating. Tapping into the things that make my soul whole, is the only way I know how to live a stable and happy life. I am also committed to being healthy and active."

Freedom Reigns

Mr. Beaver

Stephanie Hardy

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Mabel

Geraldine Giraffe

"I am currently working on a series of work inspired by childhood literature.
​I wanted to create a collection of art that featured classic story book characters represented in a way that I would imagine them to be in real life."

"It is so gratifying to be able to create a piece of art that celebrates our love and memories of animals that impacted our lives so greatly."

Share with us the back story of some of your projects.
I had the privilege of doing a painting for a woman who dedicated her life to rescuing dogs. With the help of her family we were able to collect photos of each rescue she took in and I was able to come up with a 36"x48” composition that included every single dog, as well as elements of her garden and backyard that she built for these animals to thrive in. It was the first time I’d painted more than 2 dogs in one piece and they were a wide variety of breeds, running and playing in different ways. It was so fun and so challenging and when I was done it just exuded joy and love.
When presented to her, she was overwhelmed by emotion and tears, and was so grateful to have something that immortalized these beautiful animals that meant so much to her. It is so gratifying to be able to create a piece of art that celebrates our love and memories of animals that impacted our lives so greatly. 

Tell us about your upcoming projects?
I am currently working on a series of work inspired by childhood literature.
I wanted to create a collection of art that featured classic story book characters represented in a way that I would imagine them to be in real life. The first piece I’ve been working on is a portrait of a stuffed Velveteen Rabbit on a Skin Horse, which is a large wooden horse on wheels. I love the memories that these characters spark, not just in myself but in other people that share a fondness for ​these sweet story books. I will be including pieces featuring Corduroy Bear, Ferdinand the Bull, 3 Billy Goats Gruff and more.

Tell us about where you are based and how it impacts the art you create.
I lived in Tennessee for over 10 years when I began to paint full time. Being in a small town in the South largely influenced my work. After exclusively painting horses, I began to branch out into traditional farm life, painting cows, roosters, sheep, chickens and so on. I could not keep enough cows and roosters in stock, they were so popular out there. I’ve since moved to Colorado, and I have found that my portraits of cattle and longhorn are more popular here. I think there is a more sophisticated art community in Colorado than in Tennessee, and that has been so inspiring to be around.
​I am now a part of the Arts Commission in my home town of Lone Tree, where I work with our city to bring more arts and culture opportunities to our community. 

Hot Chocolate

We Are The Universe 48x60

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​How do you feel about art and its role?
I am excited about how accessible art has become, whether it be via social media, traditional media, or with the growth of public arts. I notice public art taking off in cities like Nashville, TN and now in the suburbs of my new home Denver, CO. Artists have opportunities beyond the canvas to share their work, such as murals, utility boxes wrapped in artwork, projections onto buildings, and so on. It’s wonderful to be in a world surrounded by creative expression.  

How would you like your work to affect the viewer?
Because my artwork revolves around animals, my greatest joy is to hear the stories people share about their connections to each animal I paint. It could be a childhood memory, it could be an animal that reminds them of their own, it could be something that celebrates a place they visited or once loved. No matter what the connection is, it is my goal to evoke that memory or fondness in my viewers when they see my art.


www.stephaniejeanne.com

"I am now a part of the Arts Commission in my home town of Lone Tree, where I work with our city to bring more arts and culture opportunities to our community."