When I visited artist Stephanie Pile, I immediately noticed how she brings new interpretation to ordinary things. While others may see only mundane objects, Stephanie sees opportunities for creative expression. Visiting her home, and exploring her garden, I felt like a kid in a toy store, exclaiming out loud at each new discovery. One colorful image would catch my interest, and just as quickly my attention snagged on another, even more interesting object, carried on the breezes that gently made the plants sway.
An ordinary concrete park bench sat in the midst of her garden. It was covered with painting and tile that echoed the verdant garden. On the outside of the bench, sage colored vines and red flowers with yellow centers stood out against a white background. On the inside, the bench was painted Caribbean blue. Circles picked up the yellow, white, and sage of the bench ends, red accents added a sense of exuberance. Small squares of tile and glass captured all the colors of the bench, presenting them in a spectrum of shades of the main colors. Stephanie had transformed a drab concrete bench into a functional art piece that burst with joy. It made me smile and laugh out loud. How often do we find laughter in a bench?