Stephanie Shank is an abstract expressionist painter who exhibits with galleries throughout the U.S.A. Exposed to the world of painting while a young girl, she watched in fascination as her mother, an oil painter who studied with Max Beckman and Philip Guston, expressively applied vivid hues and bold brushstrokes to the canvas. From those closely observed sessions, the intense passion to paint took hold of her. Born in St. Louis, MO, she studied painting at Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Missouri and the University of Missouri in Kansas City where she received her B.F.A. in 1976. The following decade, she applied her creative talents practically through commercial art and window display design for department stores. Those years were punctuated with independent studies with influential mentors and workshops. She relocated to the desert Southwest in the late 80's where the stunningly clear light of the Arizona environs illuminated and informed the brilliant hues of her expressionistic paintings. To expand her visceral experiences, she divides her studio time between Tucson, Arizona and Portland, Oregon. Working in mixed media, predominately acrylic, oil sticks, and charcoal, her artistic vision expresses the vibrant rhythms of the inner narrative. She is indebted to the Abstract Expressionist action painters, particularly Joan Mitchell, Willem de Kooning, and Franz Kline. Her work can be seen at the Blue Print Store in Dallas, TX; Butters Gallery in Portland, OR; The Globe Gallery in Santa Fe, NM; CasaBella Fine Art in Tucson, AZ; Costello-Childs Contemporary Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ; John Brooks in Denver, CO; Serendip in Norfolk, VA; and Camellia Arts in Hilton Head, SC.