Eileen Stodut Gallery Show + Reception

Born and raised in Manhattan, the artist spent most of her life in and around New York City, but she also spent many happy summers in Copake, N.Y. as well. Graduating from Lehman College with a dual master’s degree in visual art and art education, she has always been in the art world in some capacity, always as artist, many times as educator, mentor or therapist. As early as right out of high school, she worked as a colorist for Wamsutta Mills and Lily First Designs. Her love of the theater led her to volunteer as a scenic (works with the set designer) for off Broadway plays, and introduced her to a whole new spectrum of art. After spending many years as a scenic, she became much sought-after for off Broadway shows, low budget films, and commercials.

After moving to Westchester, Stodut was asked to paint huge murals for many businesses and private homes and became a well-known muralist, working in New York, Florida and other sites. She also did set design for regional theater companies, doing sets for plays such as Sweeny Todd. Stodut opened the Arts and Innovation Center Westchester in White Plains. Today, while she still does commission pieces, much of her time is spent in teaching classes in repetition art therapy for young adults suffering from TBI; she also traches and evaluates people with emotional and physical disabilities through the ACCESS VR (York State Education Department). At the Arts and Innovation Center she teaches fine art to individuals of all ages, including digital arts and animation. She sometimes runs a summer camp where she teaches traditional and digital fashion and costume design. Her current desire is to teach robotics and 3-D animation, at the Arts and Innovation Center; she would also like to find other centers eager to have these topics taught by an experienced artist and teacher. Stodut is known for her love and portrayal of animals, both wild and domestic, and also includes, in her portfolio, florals, and boating and water motifs. Her work can be very minute, or expansive; color and form are key to the success of her renderings. She was a front runner in saving the earth, and has worked tirelessly in aiding the cause of animal rights and ecology.

Artist’s Statement
As an artist, my goal is to challenge the viewer to take a journey into their imagination and to make contact with their inner being, which I hope will be rewarding to them. In my work, I am responding to emotional stimuli in a way that is surreal and dreamlike through figurative painting. Although I wish for the viewer to have a sense of what I feel, I want my work will give the viewer the opportunity to not only explore his/her own feelings, but to realize the connection that we share with each other and the world around us. In my world I illustrate, though not obviously, the mystery and the energy of the moment that I see in life. I do this through shape and color. I love color! I tend to create this way due to the shock of an incident in which I almost lost my life. The reawakening of my soul and the realization that we are all one has made me see how fragile and delicate this essence of life is and how, in the blink of an eye, can vanish. I believe that most people, deep in their hearts are aware of this, and know that this is the strand that ties us all together.

Merritt Bookstore | 57 Front Street | Millbrook, NY 12545 | 845 677 5857