Welcome to my page. Here you will find work for sale as well as examples of pet portrait commissions. I have been living and working in Knoxville, TN since 2008 but I am originally from Chicago where I studied drawing/printmaking, scientific illustration and anatomical rendering at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I also studied illustration and fine art at the American Academy of Art, The School of Representational Art and the Palette and Chisel in Chicago. I received a BA with a concentration in studio art from Northeastern Illinois University. This is where I discovered watercolor and have painted in this medium ever since.

While I am influenced by surrealism I am more a representational realist with an Americana element that I refer to as "southern gothic". I paint with transparent watercolors on 300 lb. Arches paper. Gradually layering light to dark, I avoid the use of opaque white or black paint. The darker tones you see are made by mixing less diluted complimentary colors and the white areas are simply the white of the paper carefully painted around or masked off. Recently I have started mounting some of my work my on cradled panels and sealing them with cold wax medium giving them an appearance similar to egg tempera. These watercolors can be hung without a frame, mat and glass.

You may contact me at stephen.brayfield@gmail.com to discuss a pet or human portrait commission you'd like to have done.