As we continue to work with Tara West on her new series “Dressed with Tara West”, I find myself learning more about the intersection of fashion and the visual arts. For this assignment we didn’t have to travel far, we parked at the heart of Newbury St, Boston’s iconic shopping street. That’s where the incredibly talented Stephanie Saunders opened an art gallery that exclusively sells her creations.

Stephanie is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Her artwork tells the story of becoming whole. It is her intention for her art to be inspiring, uplifting, and to kindle joy in the viewer. Her artistic process and the painted imagery are deeply inspired by the transformative principle of nature and the inseparable relationship between creation and destruction. Her work is greatly influenced by extensive studies in Eastern philosophy and the Devine feminine principle.

Her large and colorful paintings are intended to transport the viewer to a state beyond the ordinary, while simultaneously including and embracing the most basic and universal aspects of the human condition. Her often large mixed media paintings celebrate the female form. Frequently utilizing the figure and various symbols as metaphors for a larger discussion and visual inquiry around themes of personal transformation, beauty, freedom, and spiritual realization.

You can watch Stephanie’s episode of “Dressed with Tara West” right here.