“I consider my paint as a sculptor might her clay. Each brush stroke takes on a form of its own and, in the end, creates textures that explore and express an object or scene. My panels rarely sit static in the easel; I turn them sideways or upside down—sometimes even laying them flat on the floor—throughout the process, exploring ways to layer and move paint. What I’m beginning to tap into is a dynamic experience of weaving an image together, of building it.” 

-Stephanie Hartshorn

Stephanie Hartshorn is recognized for her strong architectural portraits of Rural America, and has been featured in the SantaFean, Southwest Art,and Western Art Collector magazines.  A fifth-generation Coloradan, her subjects fall into diverse camps. First, the West that she grew up around: an iconic landscape of barns, fields, and criss-crossing power lines. Second, the West that grew up around Route 66: living just a stone’s throw from Denver’s storied Colfax Avenue, Hartshorn finds continual challenge in capturing and contextualizing the signs and sights from the bygone motor hotel era.  

Hartshorn’s work has been awarded and exhibited nationally, including being shown in the 19thAmerican Impressionist Society National Juried Exhibition in 2018; shown as a featured artist at Door County Plein Air Festivalin 2019; as a recipient of the Award of Excellencefrom Plein Air Magazineat Laguna Plein Air Invitationalin 2017; and exhibited at the Coors Western Art Exhibit and Saleat the National Western Stock Show in 2019. Stephanie Hartshorn currently lives and works in Denver, Colorado.