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Artist Stephanie Ann Johanson

Stephanie is a west coast artist, living in Victoria, BC, Canada. Her paintings are usually acrylic and painted in a style of realism with just a hint of fantasy. She is inspired by nature. Rock and stones intrigue her. If you have a keen eye you may spot a dragon in one of Stephanie’s cave paintings, or a mermaid in the shadow of a rock. Stephanie's Art

Stephanie is also a soapstone carver. Introduced to soapstone carving when she was in junior high, Stephanie found she loved it. She continued to carve soapstone and to learn about carving techniques, so much so that in 1996 and 1997 Stephanie taught Beginning Soapstone Carving through Camosun College. The evaluations for her course brought back excellent reviews from her students. She would probably have continued to teach this course if it hadn’t been for an increased workload while she was working for Disney Interactive Victoria. (Disney Interactive Victoria shut down January 3, 2003.) The soapstone mermaid on the right is one of Stephanie’s soapstone carvings.

Stephanie has often said that when she draws the image seems to come from the thoughts and images in her head, but when she carves the form seems to come from the stone and her hands. This is not to say that she carves with her eyes closed. Stephanie has sketched, drawn and planned carvings down to the smallest detail, but she prefers those times that the image in the stone is released by her hands, as though it was always there and all she did was take away those parts that weren’t the final piece.

While Stephanie has an affinity for rock and stones, she also has a wonderful expressiveness with wire and copper foil. She may burn her fingers with the soldering iron, from time to time, but she also creates miniature cages, small dragons with bead wire wings, candleholders that hold small birthday candles, copper roses, and delicate butterflies. If we could just get her into welding, her metal creations would increase ten fold. The copper bird-like creature on the left is one of Stephanie Johanson’s copper works.

Stephanie is an illustrator. She illustrated Stanley K. Freiberg’s “The Hidden City, A Poem of Peru”, and has had illustrations in many fanzines, including the four-time Aurora award winner, “Under the Ozone Hole.” Stephanie is the art director and on staff artist for Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine, so you can often find her illustrations on the pages of Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine.

Stephanie’s art has been displayed at several Science Fiction convention art shows: V-con, Norwescon, Alternacon, Banff con, Non Con, ConText, Westercon, Icon, Rustycon, Conadian (Worldcon), Con-version. It was at V-con 13, held in Vancouver, BC 1985, that Stephanie first display art. She displayed two pen and ink drawings and four acrylic paintings. Stephanie sold one painting, for $26.00, it was of a dragon ripping apart a missile in mid-air.

At Non Con 13, in 1990, Stephanie’s mono colored intaglio print “Mermaid” won Best Print.

During the 52^nd World Science Fiction Convention Conadian, Stephanie’s painting “The Lookout” won a Best of Show ribbon. The painting “Lookout” shown on the right is of a dragon looking out of the entrance of a cave. Unfortunately in this photo the dragon is very hard to see.

At the Vcon 28 art show, Stephanie’s painting, “Sombrio”, won Favorite Work.