ARTIST BIO

Los Angeles visual artist, Stephanie Day-McGann currently works as both a painter and photographer. She earned a BFA with Painting emphasis from Arizona State University, graduating with honors. Her unique painting style is defined by layers upon layers of either oil or acrylic paint, going back between dark and light colors, creating the illusion of space. Subtle influences apparent in her work include Mark Rothko, Gerhard Richter, and Richard Prince. In her conceptual and spiritual abstract pieces, Day-McGann communicates ideas that touch on spirituality, music, and nature. As a photographer, Day-McGann works for top brands and celebrity clientele. She has also worked in other creative fields as an interior designer, graphic designer, and startup entrepreneur, bringing technology to serve other artists. The highlight of Day-McGann’s artistic career was when art collector Steve Tisch commissioned a painting to create for his fiancée at the time.

In addition to her painting, she consistently travels and studies fine art from various European communities while gaining creative inspiration. Day-McGann has used her talents to help local charities by donating paintings to CASA, Hospice of the Valley, AHHA, and other organizations. Currently, Day-McGann is working on commission paintings as a studio artist as well as a professional photographer.

ARTIST STATEMENTS

CIRCLE SERIES

Stephanie Day-McGann’s circle painting style was inspired by her experience growing up in two different religions. The devotion of repetitious prayer and meditation underlies the expression portrayed in each piece. Her unique use of layering color, media, and organic forms create depth and complexity that is striking yet visually pleasing. The artist uses sacred symbolism in her work correlating each layer with the stages of atonement. The painting is primed pure white, which is then covered by the lifeless brown tone. Day-McGann then adds a layer of wax stamped with circles to represent our covenant to God.

Day-McGann relates the circle as the symbol of God and life, repeating the shape to represent consistent prayer. While the dark areas reflect the unexpected struggles we endure, the lighter values portray our joyful victories. “My goal is to symbolically depict life’s journey through trials and tribulations leading up to salvation.”

ILLUMINATIONS OF THE TRINITY

In the shadow of loss, Stephanie Day-McGann found a new purpose: to explore and express the divine connection that binds us all. "Illuminations of the Trinity" is not merely a series of paintings; it is a healing revelation, born from the darkest days following the passing of the artists’ younger brother..

Searching for peace, Day-McGann turned to Ephesians 5:13 "Everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” This verse became the cornerstone of her work, guiding the artist to a groundbreaking technique that captures the divine light inherent in the Trinity.

Through the use of colored acrylic sheets, Day-McGann paints a variety of circles and strokes symbolizing repetitious prayer. The trinity is intertwined yet defined by different opacities to offer a feeling of depth emerging from the darkness. Encased in custom-made lightboxes, each piece transcends traditional boundaries, glowing with an inner light that symbolizes the omnipresent divine, offering solace and illumination in darkness.

“My goal is for each piece to transcend and illuminate our connection to God. I hope this series can serve as a beacon for those lost in grief, a testament to the enduring light within us all.”

PANDEMIC

Stephanie Day-McGann most recent conceptual abstract paintings use song lyrics to address political and social issues. "Pandemic" is a series based on the concept of how everyday phrases are changed by pop culture, subconsciously playing a song in the viewers head similar to an ear worm, and bringing an audible experience to the artwork itself. The song lyrics were specifically chosen as billboard chart hits with words correlating to the Covid-19 crisis. Each lyric is painted in a bright yellow color, which has multiple symbolic meanings that signify the virus. Yellow can represent sickness or be a positive happy color. Yellow is also an attention grabbing color and can signify caution as in police tape. When each piece is arranged in a specific order tell the story related to our experience from dealing with the most serious pandemic of our lifetime to the hope of returning back to the way we lived before.

Connect with Stephanie on Instagram @stephdayart