Meet Stephanie Dalton: Visual Artist and Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Dalton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
What makes me happy is the people I am fortunate enough to create art for; those collectors who own my originals, the art directors and designers who continue to collaborate with me regularly on illustration assignments. The local art consultants who place my work in hotels and office buildings around the city and nationally. I, especially enjoy helping my Atlanta friends with their branding, design and websites. Many of my clients are more than colleagues, they are very good friends and this makes me particularly happy to create, everyday.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My artistic life has taken me along the path of photographer, designer, illustrator and fine artist. I create digital illustrations for clients, I paint original art for collectors, I take photographs and create mixed media encaustic works, I work in printmaking. On rare occasions I will design a logo or build a website for special friends. However, the majority of my time is spent illustrating and creating original art. A mentor once told me that an artist should work with their own metabolism to decide how to approach their art. What he meant is that an artist needs to notice how their energy fuels their approach to creating. What I discovered is that my metabolism fires on many cylinders which, in turn, fuels my interest to work in a a variety of mediums. I enjoy creating illustrations because my assignments are varied in subject matter. This challenges me to think creatively within a certain narrative and storyline. In contrast, the freedom of working on my fine art commissions allows me to explore my own personal ideas. I also get to push my physical body when creating art on a much larger scale. The simple act of making a 5′ by 6′ painting allows me to create in a completely different way. I believe that’s what differentiates my approach to art. I reject the inclination to label myself a painter, photographer or illustrator. I work as an artist, and it doesn’t matter to me what I create as long as I am creating everyday. I’m happiest when I am collaborating with my clients to give them the best possible work I can produce, whether the art is in the form of an illustration, a book cover, a logo or a large painting. At the end of the day, I want my hands dirty. my hair messy and my eyes sparkling. It’s what makes me feel alive as an artist and a human being.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hmmmmmm, that’s a very good question. First of all, I think the metro Atlanta area offers a lot of wonderful outdoor activities for the daytime.. I would take my friend hiking on the Kennesaw Mountain trails, or along the Chattahoochee River. If they were more adventurous, I would kayak down the river or go cycling along one of the wonderful greenways in the area. Two of my favorite cycle trails are Big Creek Greenway in Forsyth County and the Silver Comet intown. Being an artist, I would also take my friend to the High Museum, Miami Circle and West End Atlanta to visit the different galleries in town. On the weekend, I’d go the farmers market on Marietta Square and have coffee at one of the independent coffee houses like Cool Beans. As for food, I’m partial to independent restaurants instead of chains. Some of my favorite spots are Thaicoon Restaurant on Marietta Square, I love their sushi and Thai dishes. My favorite Italian restaurant is Cibo e Beve Ristorante Italiano in Sandy Springs. Whats cool about Cibo is the owners Chef Gianni and Chef Linda want to create a dining experience that is as good as the food. They have amazing wine dinners monthly that feature their award winning wine list and authentic Italian recipes. Another fun destination would to be to hang out at Ponce City Market to enjoy all the shops and their food court. Likewise, I would take my friends to Four Fat Cows for ice cream at the Marietta Square Market or to Henri’s Bakery. For brunch, I’d like Haven Restaurant in Brookhaven. And for a fun lunch on the go, I’d take my friend to Havana on Buford Highway, they have killer empanadas and cuban sandwiches. I think the beauty of metro Atlanta is all the different outdoor venues like Marietta Square, Ponce City Market and even Avalon out in Alpharetta. It’s just fun to meander around these different spots to experience the site seeing and food. I really enjoy the farmers market that’s open on the weekends at Marietta Square and walking around L5P and Virginia Highlands. I’ve always liked Murphys Restaurant in Virginia Highlands too. I’ve been going there for years. One last thing, I especially like the hardware store at North Highland Avenue and the hardware store at East Paces Ferry. These stores are little jewels to me, there’s something for everyone, especially artists.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Many people have helped me along the way. The first would be my late husband Robert Cowan, who believed in me when my idea to be a professional illustrator and artist was in its infancy. He told me that I was an “artist was in my bones”, and encouraged me to step out on my own and work creating art. I’m glad I listened to him and walked away from my day job. It hasn’t always been easy, but it was the right path for me. Secondly, I have to acknowledge my illustration reps at Rapp Art who represent my work along with nearly 100 artists from around the globe. Through their support I have created art for television spots with Showtime Networks, packaging for the Olympics, posters for Opera houses and Broadway. It’s a bit mind boggling to realize how many hundreds of illustrations I have created for magazines and design agencies. I had no idea that my leap of faith in 1999 would take me here, but I hoped it would sustain me as a full time job. Another shout out should go to Jennifer Long at Film Art LA for placing my original art in several motion pictures and television shows. It’s exciting to see the art I create appear in scenes of major motion pictures. Who loves you Jen! A special thanks should also go to the local art consultants who have placed my paintings in businesses and hotels. Anne Lambert Tracht and Jill Malino of ConsultArt placed three of my paintings in the NCR Towers in Midtown. The art directors at Soho Myriad placed my work inside the W Hotel in midtown and at Hotel Madera in Washington DC. Kind thanks also goes to DAC Art Consulting for placing my work at the Ritz Hotel in Buckhead. Probably the biggest shout out goes to my mother who instinctively knew to put a pencil and paper in my hands and let me draw for hours on end with no interruption except to feed me. Thanks Mom for knowing what made me tick when i was just a little kid with big dreams. You’re the best.

Website: www.daltonprojects.com
Instagram: @daltonprojects / @stephanie_dalton_cowan
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daltoncowan/
Twitter: n/a
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaltonProjects
Yelp: n/a
Youtube: daltonprojects
Other: daltoncowan.com ( personal illustration site ) rappart.com ( illustration rep ) filmartla.com ( film rep ) @stephanie_dalton_cowan IG illustration page https://daltonprojects.tumblr.com https://www.pinterest.com/daltonprojects/

Image Credits
Studio Portrait of Stephanie by Tom Meyer Photography, Atlanta, GA