Culbertson featured at cooperative galleries

Stefanie Culbertson, watercolor painter, is Kailua Village Artists featured artist for April.

Culbertson’s journey began in Frankfurt, Germany, where she lived for 19 years, traveling all over Europe and growing up immersed in art, music and theater. At 12 years of age she won her first art contest; at 15, she started studying various art techniques and was an art major in high school. During this time she also studied acting and performed with a student group in a professional theater in Germany.

In 1989, Culbertson came to Hawaii and was fascinated by the lush and rugged beauty of the island and the aloha of the people — her 2 1/2-month vacation turned into eight years. She studied watercolors, acrylics, pastels and dye-on-silk techniques and, in 1991, joined the West Hawaii Arts Guild and the Kailua Village Artists Group for a couple years. From 1994 to 1997 she studied the Sandi Meisner technique of acting and attended Hawaii Community College.

Setting out for more adventures, Culbertson moved to California in 1997 where she poured her energy into performing arts, working on and off stage for the next eight years. Meanwhile, she earned her associate degree in liberal arts in 1999 and in drama in 2001 with highest honors from Cuesta College. She continued doing her art throughout her time in California and earned her bachelor’s degree in digital design in 2006 from the American Continental University, again with honors.

In 2006, Culbertson returned to Hawaii, focusing on her art and living a slower and simpler pace of life with her family and started her own business, Tiffany Arts Designs. Since then she has worked in graphic and Web design and painting in watercolors. Culbertson developed her style of art, fusing the effects of bright, flowing colors like dye on silk with her watercolor technique, painting in many layers to emphasize the characters and scenery in vivid rainbow colors and reflecting light. Her latest works are the “Anuenue (rainbow) Series.” With her series she hopes to reach the viewers attention on a deeper, emotional level captivating them to see and feel the beauty, spirituality and diversity of the magical world of Hawaii, the rainbow state.

Culbertson invites the public to see her latest work and talk story with her at the Kailua Village Artists Gallery at Alii Sunset Plaza on April 7 and 29, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the second gallery at Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort on April 14 and 28, which is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Call 324-7060 or 329-6653 for more information.