A cartoonish pale woman seated in a diner booth appears to be in her 30s or 40s with a distinctive large, wavy, fire red, voluminous bouffant hairdo in the shape of a soft-serve ice cream cone. Her focus and face are looking down as she leans towards a blue plate overflowing with french fries next to two dipping sauces. Five more dipping sauces await on the table just to the left of the plate. She wears a light blue denim-style jacket with a white brooch on the right shoulder. Her gaze is hidden by two dark sunglasses with plastic white frames, but it is clear she intends to not be restrained from eating more fries today. The “Beehive Lady” is a recurring theme in Stephanie Deer’s artwork. Deer has said her red-headed, fry sauce-loving character was inspired by “proud...Utah women [who] loved their families, careers, aprons, road shows, and the occasional warm meal.” The Utah native is a self-taught artist who uses her work to depict the unique culture and sometimes quirky people of the Beehive State. Deer learned to paint out of necessity while working as an interior designer. When a commissioned artist quit in the middle of an interior design project, Stephanie solved the problem by picking up a paintbrush and finishing the job herself. She has been painting ever since evolving over time through a process of trial and error.

"Sometimes less is more...But not today" by Stephanie Deer (American) - Mixed media / 2010 - Springville Museum of Art (Utah) #womeninart #art #contemporaryart #SpringvilleMuseumofArt #artwork #painting #womanartist #womensart #portraitofawoman #beehive #frenchfries #StephanieDeer #femaleartist