Stephanie Cramer was born in 1960 in Kansas City. Attracted to color and gesture at an early age, she knew she wanted to be an artist. Mainly raised in Springfield, Missouri, Stephanie graduated from Missouri State University in 1983. Previously, she served as the Director of Programs & Exhibitions at the Springfield Regional Arts Councils for nine years before moving on to creating art full-time. Collectors of Stephanie's work can be found throughout New England and across the Midwest. According to Stephanie, "Center stage in my art is the figure- an object in motion, as if the figure is caught, just for an instant; a glimpse a snapshot, before the gesture is complete. I'm not in search of exact representation. Rather, I'm intent on provoking a sense of tension or intensity. This tension, plus color, brings the emotion to the painting. Whether spatial or expressionistic, the implied relationship between figures is intended to arouse curiosity. Painting is like a freeze frame. It helps both the viewer and the painter to pause- if just for a second, -as we enter that two-dimensional space. Most of the time the stage is imaginary or based on dreams and memories."