CERAMIC BOWL WITH SUNFLOWER DESIGN

CERAMIC BOWL WITH SUNFLOWER DESIGN - 2012 (SOLD)

Original handpainted design (22cm x 8cm)

(For all enquiries contact karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

PASSIONART EXHIBITION OPENING NIGHT

PASSIONART EXHIBITION OPENING NIGHT

PassionART Exhibition 23rd November 2012

PASSIONART EXHIBITION 2012

OPENING NIGHT FRIDAY 23rd NOVEMBER 2012 6PM


CERAMIC EXHIBITION NOVEMBER 2012

 

A SMALL COLLECTION OF MY CERAMICS ARE ON DISPLAY AND FOR SALE

 

Hanasho Flower & Art - Shop 235 Boundary Street -West End

(Exhibition ends 30 November 2012)

CASAS DE COLORES

CASAS DE COLORES - 2012

(HOUSES OF COLOUR)

Original handmade and handpainted ceramic wall relief (4cm x 12cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

UN PUEBLO PEQUEÑO DE MEXICO

 

 

UN PUEBLO PEQUEÑO DE MEXICO - 2012

(A SMALL MEXICAN TOWN)

Original handmade and handpainted ceramic slab piece - wall relief

Dimensions ( 14cm x 6cm x 8cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com) 

EL GANSITO

EL GANSITO (THE LITTLE GOOSE) - 2012 - SOLD

Oil on canvas (25cm x 30cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

COLOURFUL CERAMIC BOWLS

COLOURFUL CERAMIC BOWLS - 2012 (SOLD)

Handpainted ceramic bowls (10cm and 12cm diameter)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

 

DWARF SUNFLOWERS - FLORESSENCE 2012

 

DWARF SUNFLOWERS - 2012

Original botanical illustration of Dwarf Sunflowers - Pencil on Arches paper

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

PLENTY MORE FISH IN THE SEA

PLENTY MORE FISH IN THE SEA - 2012

 

Installation, E Block, Southbank Institute of TAFE, South Brisbane, Qld.

Plastic flower arrangement, plastic vase, plastic bowls & spoons,

folding chairs, plastic milk carton, plastic cloth, chalk, plastic waste.

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

 

PLENTY MORE FISH IN THE SEA

by Karen Stephens

I really wonder if there will be an abundance of sea life in years to come and whether this proverb will hold any worth in our current culture. 
 

The title of my installation analyses our society at present that is caught in a vortex of consuming.   It moves at such a rate we can only think of today and ‘the now’.
 

Plastics are created from oil and plastics and are ubiquitous in our post-modern culture.  Daily, tonnes of disposed waste heads to an aquatic grave to ride the ocean's currents. 
 

Our sea life reflects ourselves and our future.  Plastic waste dumped into our oceans become faux food for our sea life.  This issue has become global and plastics on Australian shores have been traced to other nations from currents.  Plastics from 1960 are yet to biodegrade and continue to pollute our oceans.   
 

Sea animals and marine life have become the innocent victims of the plastic pollution.  Mistaking the small plastic pieces for plankton or food, turtles, seals, adult sea birds and their chicks are all choking and dying at a rapid pace due to our ignorance and our continual cycle of consuming and disposing. 
 

Rapidly growing numbers of deceased birds have been discovered on Australian shores with their gut and intestinal tracts full of plastic items.  Recently one deceased Mutton Bird was found with 275 pieces of plastic in a lab analysis which would’ve accounted to 15% of its body weight. 
 

I encourage you to consider this for a moment.  If an average human adult weighs 55kg to 75kg, 15% of this body weight equals 8 – 12kg.  This would be the extra weight from plastic if we were forced to consume plastics.   
 

My installation presents the turtles rendered in chalk on purpose.  Chalk is impermanent and fades which reflects our society’s current attitude.   As the masses walk over the figures they too will fade much like the ignorance of the issue.  Some may walk over them without even noticing or the issue may seem too large and overwhelming to know how to stop the plastic pollution. Others may be so narcissistic and not even consider the turtles, believing impunity at the top of the food chain. 

The plastic pollution is a ticking time bomb.  Along with our sea life we will slowly poison ourselves from carcinogenic plankton living on plastic articles at the bottom of the food chain. Larger animals dine on the smaller end of the food chain arriving at human consumption at the top of the chain.

THE BOMB

THE BOMB - 2012

Synthetic polymer paint on canvas (60cm x 75cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

 

 ‘The Bomb’, L7, ‘Hungry for Stink’, 1992. Lyrics written and performed by Sparks, D and Finch, J. Slash Records, Liberation Records p/l, 1994.

PLASTIPUFFS CEREAL BOX DESIGN

 

PLASTIPUFFS CEREAL BOX - 2012

Original design and screenprint onto cardboard (8cm x 30cm x 20cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

 

 

CHOKED

CHOKED - 2012

Birdcage, fishing line, plastic waste items (40cm x 25cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

 

Choked is a personal investigation of my daily association with the consuming and disposing cycle of plastics. 

The small cage represents the ribs of a bird suffocated and heavily stuffed with plastic.

Its body becomes its own prison. 

An assortment of 103 articles of plastic was accounted for within one average week.  These articles were mostly vessels and packaging for food and beverage items. 

To put this into perspective I collected and disposed of - 

1.6       items per hour

14.28   items per day

103      items per week

5356    items per year

Imagine 52 of these bird cages lining the wall – this would be my personal average weekly waste product per year for small items of plastic. 

Now multiply this by our ever increasing population.

 

(Karen Stephens 31/10/2012)

FUNKY FLORAL TRAY

FUNKY FLORAL TRAY - 2012

Original handmade & handpainted ceramic tray (12cm x 17cm x 2cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)



COLOURED CERAMIC BOWLS

COLOURED CERAMIC BOWLS - 2012

Handpainted ceramic bowls (8cm in diameter)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

QUATRO CASAS

'Quatro Casas' - 2012

Original handbuilt and handpainted slab ceramic piece. Wall relief (32 x 21 x 8cm)

(For all enqiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)



CURRENT WORK IN PROGRESS

WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES FOR UPCOMING NOVEMBER EXHIBITION

MINI CHERRY BLOSSOM SUSHI SETS

MINI CHERRY BLOSSOM SUSHI SET (ROSE) - 2012
Original handmade and handpainted sushi set (bowls 8cm diameter)

MINI CHERRY BLOSSOM SUSHI SET (CHERRY) - 2012 - SOLD
Original handmade and handpainted sushi set (bowls 8cm diameter)



MINI CHERRY BLOSSOM SUSHI SET (MANGO) - 2012
Original handmade and handpainted sushi set (bowls 8cm diameter)



MINI CHERRY BLOSSOM SUSHI SET (IRIS) - 2012 - SOLD
Original handmade and handpainted sushi set (bowls 8cm diameter)

MINI CHERRYBLOSSOM SUSHI SETS

MINI CHERRY BLOSSOM SUSHI SET (AZUL) - 2012
Original handmade and handpainted ceramic set (bowls 8cm diameter)

MINI CHERRY BLOSSOM SUSHI SET (WASABI) - 2012 - SOLD
Original handmade and handpainted ceramic set (bowls 8cm diameter)

MINI CHERRY BLOSSOM SUSHI SET (SPEARMINT) - 2012
Original handmade and handpainted ceramic set (bowls 8cm diameter)

MINI CHERRY BLOSSOM SUSHI SET (JACARANDA) - 2012
Original handmade and handpainted ceramic set (bowls 8cm diameter)

FISH MAGIC

FISH MAGIC - 2012

Acrylic and Oil on Canvas (40cm x 50cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

TERRACOTTA CERAMIC TRIO

TERRACOTTA CERAMIC TRIO - 2012

Handmade terracotta ceramic balls (Height 9cm x Width 10cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)



EMERGE

'EMERGE' - 2012

Acrylic and oil on Canvas (40cm x 120cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)



PETITE SWIRLED TRAY

PETITE SWIRLED TRAY - 2012

Original handbuilt & handpainted ceramic (10 x 19 x 3.5cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

PETITE FLORAL BOWL

PETITE FLORAL BOWL - 2012

Original handbuilt & handpainted ceramic with glaze (10 x 14 x 3cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

TOADALLY UNPLUGGED

TOADALLY UNPLUGGED - 2012

Ceramic coiled bowl with original handbuilt  & painted character

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

SCREENPRINTED T-SHIRT ' LA RANA'

'LA RANA' - SCREENPRINTED T-SHIRT - 2012

Original design copyrighted - Karen Stephens

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)

SCREENPRINTED T-SHIRTS

SCREENPRINTED T-SHIRTS - 2012

'La Catrina' original design by Mexican engraver Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com) 

SELF PORTRAIT

 

SELF PORTRAIT - 2012

Acrylic on Canvas (40cm x 50cm)



ST.SEBASTIONS SPRING ART SHOW 2012

 

ST.SEBASTIONS SPRING ART SHOW

SATURDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER 2012 - YERONGA

ABSTRACT GEOMETRIC DRAWING

 

ABSTRACT GEOMETRIC DRAWING - 2012

Pencil and Coloured Pencil on Paper (42cm x 69cm)

(For all enquiries contact - karenstephens.art@gmail.com)