Studio Visit with Stephanie Rond

Let's visit the studio of another Playing House artist, Stephanie Rond! Through graffiti, Stephanie's work will draw you in with bright colors, details and strong commentary.

Wall Eye Gallery: Tell us about yourself and your work.

Stephanie Rond: I'm a full time art maker living in Columbus, Ohio with my partner Nate and our two cats. Most of my work is hand cut stencils and spray paint but I like to dabble in sculpture as well. I'm very active in my community and believe in the power of helping everyone helps ourselves. I'm interested in making gallery and street art. When I grow up I would like to be a crossword puzzle guru and domestic cat herder.

WEG: Tell us about your studio. Location? Favorite part? Time spent in it?

SR: My studio is in our two car garage. It has a loft upstairs, and I use the bottom part of the garage when the cars are removed for spraying aerosol. We call it "Fonzie's Place" because Fonzie lived above the Cunningham's garage on Happy Days. On a good week I spend 45-55 hours there. I have several contract jobs, so sometimes I have to squeeze in a couple hours here and there and it only averages about 20 hours.

WEG: Silence or music while you create?

SR: Music for sure! I listen to lots of books on tape as well. When I'm plotting and planning I turn on music, but when I'm cutting the stencils I listen to books on tape. It helps pass the time and I get to learn and use my brain.

WEG: What tool(s) do you use the most?

SR: From my brain toolbox I try to use my creativity and freedom as much as possible, physically I use a razor blade and painters tape the most.

WEG: What is your ideal studio?

SR: I consider myself really lucky as far as my studio goes. The only thing I wish I had was walls that didn't slant. It's hard to make large work in my studio, but I try to get around that too.

Thanks for taking the time, Stephanie!

Visit Stephanie's website to see more of her work!

Studio Visit with Sharon Dorsey

Studio Visit is a new series where we'll learn about the spaces in which an artist creates. Whether a fun space, a sacred space, messy space, or immaculate, it's always fun (and fascinating) to peek into where an artist settles in to make a work of art.

First in this series is Columbus based artist, Sharon Dorsey. Sharon's fabulously imaginative works seem to have old souls and a stories to tell. She is also one of four artists featured in Playing House.


Wall Eye Gallery: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.

Sharon Dorsey: Making art is a method of communicating the stuff inside me that is too odd to say out loud. Like maybe I am thinking, “That son-of-a-bitch stomped on my heart and left me an empty shell of a human!” Well, then I make a painting with a sad, sick-looking woman with children growing out of her stomach and her hands raised in supplication that explains exactly how I feel. I work in many mediums because I feel like there are many different ways I need to make a statement... and because I get bored really quickly. I'm usually inspired by spiritual ideas and also by the symbolism of an image. I love the idea of recycling as it pertains to people, in an “ashes to ashes” kind of way. Or in a redemption kind of way.

WEG: Tell us about your studio. Location? Favorite part? Time spent in it?

SD: I share a small office with my husband that's attached to our bedroom. I have a 3' long table to create, but next to it is the table with the evil computer that taunts me to look at it every 3 seconds. My favorite part of the space is that I share it with my husband!

WEG: Silence or music while you create?

SD: I love to listen to music while I create! I often have Mondays off, so if I'm at home while my husband is working (he works from home), we listen to "whale music" (new-age-y ambient music). Most other times it's 80's music up in there!

WEG: What tools do you use the most?

SD: I work with many different mediums, so I have an assortment of favorite tools. The three things I seem to reach for the most are the Xacto knife, the needle nose pliers, and the awl.

WEG: What is your ideal studio?

SD: I would have to change addresses to have the ideal studio. I would love to have a huge, enclosed porch-office overlooking the back yard (which happens to be mountains with lots of animals running/flying around outside) with an enormous sound system and a wall of shelving and drawers. And maybe a wet bar.


Thanks, Sharon! To see more of Sharon's work, you can visit her blog or you can see her work in person at the exhibition, Playing House.