Meet the Artist: Stephen Skinner
Stephen Skinner
ABSTRACT ARTIST, NORTHERN RIVERS
For local artist Stephen, painting starts with a feeling rather than a plan. His abstract works trace the energy of the Northern Rivers landscape through warm earth tones and cool greys, layered down and responded to, rather than mapped out. Two of his pieces, 'Undertow' and 'Liminal', are on display in our Showroom now. We spoke to him about his process, his influences and intentions behind his pieces.
In your own words, can you tell us what you do?
I am an artist based in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. I paint abstract work that’s mostly inspired by the landscape around me. I’m not trying to paint what things look like particularly, more what they feel like to me. The energy and frequency - I try to translate that into something you can feel when you walk into a room.
What role does art play in your life?
It keeps me present. Keeps me honest and gives me a language that goes beyond the everyday. But mostly it's enjoyment. It’s fun to create, to explore and be free.
Tell us about the two pieces currently on display in our Showroom, ‘Undertow’ and ‘Liminal’.
There are many layers to each painting... knowing when to continue or stop has been a process in itself over my career. Two works that sit in quiet conversation with each other - one pulling you inward and under, and the other holding you at the edge of something new. I'm very proud of both these pieces.
‘Liminal’ explores the threshold between where one thing ends and another hasn’t quite begun yet. The cooler palette, the deep grey pools and the bold markings cutting through the darkness reflect that moment of transition.
'Undertow’ came from a feeling rather than a plan. That feeling of being pulled underneath the surface of something. Call it an emotional undertow that exists beneath the visible world. Warm earthy tones and deep shadow - reflect the hinterland in the late afternoon light, when the landscape seems to hold something unspoken. There's beauty in surrendering to that pull.
How do you want your art to feel within a space/interior?
I want it to breathe. I want someone to walk into the room and feel the energy of the artwork. Not because the painting is loud or demanding but because it holds something. My work is designed to reward slowness. In an interior context, I want the painting to feel like it belongs to the landscape outside the window and the life being lived inside simultaneously. Grounding but not heavy. Present but not imposing.
Can you talk us through your creative process?
Generally I don’t begin with a plan. I will decide on the colour palette, but that’s about it. I start by layering down broad gestural washes, letting the paint move and settle in ways I don’t fully control. Then I respond to what’s there - pushing back, pulling out, adding marks that feel true and removing anything that feels forced. The painting tells me when it’s finished. There's a moment where I have to stand back and trust it. Part of the fun is watching the different directions it can take.
Favourite artist, designer or quote?
My favourite artist/ designer for the moment is LRNCE. Laurence Leenart’s Marrakech-based world of textiles, ceramics, artworks and objects. I've admired her work for a long time. What draws me to her work is the courage and instinct behind everything she creates. There’s an authenticity to her work that I find inspiring. The simplicity, the colour palettes and shapes. So talented.
Favourite quote: “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time”. - John Lennon :)