STEPHANIE VECELLIO
Stephanie Vecellio is a local illustrator and designer who has lived in Somerville since 2014. She grew up in Connecticut and earned her BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her freelance projects range from packaging and textile design to branding and children’s book illustration. She recently had her first solo exhibition at the Arts at the Armory in Somerville.
Taking inspiration from wherever she might happen to be, Stephanie’s work is drawn directly from life, most often using marker and pen. She aims to capture shadow and light in playful saturation, bringing unexpected color to everyday scenes.
When she’s not making art, Stephanie spends her time playing with and co-organizing Boston Belles Pinball (a women’s competitive pinball league), hanging out with her adorably scruffy rescue dog Zeppie, and sketching with the Urban Sketchers Boston group.
Instagram: @stepinhoney
Website: stephanievecellio.com
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ARTIST Q&A
Born: New Haven, CT
Currently lives: Somerville, MA
Title of artwork: Market Day in Copley Square
What’s it about? This piece was drawn from life on a summer day in Copley Square. I love capturing all the little details of place and using bright color to interpret what I see.
Where else can we find your work? For updates, I’m most active on instagram and my website, but you can also find some of my work in the wild! I have a lettering piece on the floor at Earnest Drinks/Gracie’s Ice Cream in Kendall Square. I currently have a show up at Rooted Cafe at Arts at the Armory through March 18th, 2023. And at Roxy’s Arcade, there is a pennant I designed for Boston Belles Pinball hanging on the wall.
Where is your favorite public art piece in the area? It’s a sentimental one: the street I used to live on a few years ago is home to a community Neighborway mural, an initiative to slow down street traffic through art. Artists and residents from my neighborhood planned the theme and design, and we painted it together. It’s worn a bit from years of foot traffic, but you can still see it and walk the labyrinth on Hudson St. in Somerville.
Who is your favorite Boston-area artist to follow?I’ve met so many amazing artists through my networks, friendships, and selling at artisan markets. I’d say come on down to Artbeat in July, or the Somerville Flea in Aug-Oct, and you’ll be surrounded by all my favorite local artists.
What’s your favorite way to spend a day off? Taking my dog for a hike, sitting in the sun, playing some pinball!
What was your top song for 2022? “King” by Florence and the Machine
Favorite food spot in in Allston, Brighton or the surrounding area? Fomu ice cream
What have you learned about your creative practice in recent years? One big thing is that you never really know what medium you might be drawn to, or what subject matter, until you try a bunch of ways of working and see what sticks. I’ve been making art since I was a kid, and have been a professional illustrator for 10 years, but only started drawing this way a couple of years ago, because it felt fun to me, and came naturally, and really resonated with people, so I kept on going! But who knows how it might change in years to come, and part of that learning is allowing your creative practice to change as you grow too.
What is a piece of advice you would give to your past self as a young artist? Just let the way you draw come naturally and use whatever mediums make you the happiest.
What is your dream project to work on? I spend a lot of time in arcades, and it would be a dream to make a mural for one of the locations I hang out in!
