There was a moment a few years ago when Stephanie Harper lost herself and fell into a depression.
It was just after her son was born and she had taken time off work as an art therapist.
To pull through it, she dedicated time to paint.
It was a good move and helped her work out of her depression.
The pieces hanging in her studio yesterday for the 13th annual Eastside Culture Crawl, are a continuation of the swimming series she started a year ago.
The series is based on dream imagery, Harper said.
"I dream about water a lot."
The series is about being able to be free. It's about freedom from the "stress of our daily lives," she said. "It's kind of like flying."
Harper describes the poses featured in her paintings as "surreal and dream-like."
There is no right or wrong when painting, she said.
"I try not to have too much of an idea ahead of time of what I am going to paint."
Her six-year-old son, Oliver, has paintings posted in her studio as well.
"I want everybody to create like they did when they were four years old ... To be spontaneous and joyful in whatever they like," she said.
The wall she displays her paintings on reads "You must leave the comfort of the shore and dive deeply into the wild ocean of your intuition."
