Stella Im Hultberg // Sketches

While studying art history in school, I often found the lives of the artists far more interesting than the art itself.  I felt that without the background of how the artist's mind functioned and the intimate details of their lives, that so much meaning behind the work was being lost.  Because of this, I was often the one that could never remember the dates or even all the names of the pieces, but ask me where an artist grew up or the name of their third wife and I probably had no problem spewing off more than you would ever want to know.

Stella Im Hultberg has been one of my favorite artists over the last several years, and like my experience in school, I am drawn to the story of her images.  I love the fluidity of the lines and the style in which she portrays the women she paints.  I am also fascinated by the play of vulnerability and strength in each piece, which continues to draw me into the emotion of the characters.  With all this said, it's no wonder I am so intrigued by the sketchbooks posted on her site.  I enjoy looking through them looking for clues and insight into the way her mind creates the images and stories in her original works.  I have included some of the pages of her most recent sketchbook below so you can see what I mean, but be sure to have a look through the rest here...