Artist Focus: Stephen A. Jesic

In 2023, Art Renewal Center Living Master Stephen A. Jesic completed a major new work, Monarchs of the Sky,featuring wedge-tail eagles. The work took years to complete, but the time was necessary to hone in the composition.

Monarchs of the Sky, acrylic on Baltic birch, 431⁄3 x 78¾ in.

“Usually, my design concepts are fully resolved before I start the painting process, but Monarchs of the Sky proved difficult and had a long history,” Jesic says. “The initial inspiration happened while I was photographing outback scenery in 1986. A wedge-tailed eagle was soaring high above, catching thermal currents, majestic. Years passed, more reference photos gathered, then finally a design was completed by early 2017. I started the painting with a single eagle but soon felt the eagle’s pose was not dynamic enough. Several more years passed as I photographed wedge-tailed eagles in flight and by 2021 the design was altered. I now had three eagles showing three different postures. The eagles now felt majestic and harmoniously completed the scene, reflecting my initial experience and emotions. The painting process recommenced, applying layer after layer of paint, over—2,000 hours of time and effort to see it finally completed in 2023.”

Jewel of the Amazon, acrylic on Baltic birch, 24 x 20 in.

Other recent work from Jesic’s studio include Family Gathering and Jewel of the Amazon, both of which show colorful bird species in unique locations. “I try to capture the essence of their character, communicating and doing things they normally do,” the artist says. “I approach their settings as you would a still life: short depth of field, correct anatomy, highly detailed and in natural living color.”