Meet the Shifnal artist whose work is inspired by her surrounding countryside and is appearing on TV's Landscape Artist of the Year

Working in oils on canvas and panel from her county studio, the artist draws continual inspiration from the surrounding countryside. 

The local landscape plays a central role in her solo exhibition - The Light Between - with a particular focus on the light through forest trees and sunlit riverbanks. 

The artist is also a keen plein air painter and many of the works have been painted outdoors, from the grounds of Weston Park to Corbett Wood in Shrewsbury. 

“When you paint outdoors you’re painting a feeling of the landscape instead of just copying what you see, which is hard to replicate from a photograph in a studio. I love being out in nature and although you’re often battling with the elements and it can feel like a sensory overload that you’re trying to make sense of, the paintings I create en plein air always feel more alive and free,” she says. 

Stephanie will appear on Sky Landscape Artist of the Year 2026, hosted by Stephen Mangan, on February 4 at 8pm. 

The episode will feature her painting in Keswick, Cumbria, alongside seven other artists as part of the acclaimed Sky Arts series where the contestants compete to win the £10,000 art commission for the National Gallery of Ireland.

She was encouraged to apply to the competition by her friends and family.

“Every year I have family members and friends send me the competition telling me I should apply and the past few years I was unsuccessful following my submissions,” explains Stephanie.

“However, this year I had an email from the producer asking to do a call and they let me know I was through to the heats on TV. 

“They said I was one of 50 selected from over 2,000 applicants and my painting made it through five rounds of judging. 

“My submission was a small 20cm by 20cm oil painting of a tennis court set within Moroccan ruins, I found the court when I was working over there and thought it was a really unique and beautiful setting to have a tennis court and made quite an interesting painting,” she adds.

During filming, Stephanie created a painting of the Skiddaw mountain in the Lake District National Park.

“Having come from a production background, it was quite surreal to be on the other side of the camera and not be the one behind the scenes organising the set but in a strange way that made me feel quite comfortable as I was used to being in that film crew environment. 

“It was a beautiful summer day in Keswick and my family were able to come along and watch behind the scenes which made the experience even more special. 

“My daughter is only two and she decided she wanted to get into the pod and start painting, the cameras all swarmed over to capture the moment of mum and daughter painting side by side. It was very sweet. 

“Meeting the judges was also an incredible moment after watching them for years on TV, they gave great feedback as I was painting and Stephen Mangan made me feel completely at ease.”

The painting will be exhibited as part of a solo exhibition running at Weston Park’s Rose Paterson Gallery, marking the artist’s largest exhibition to date.

It will feature alongside a wider body of new work developed over the past 12 months.

Stephanie said the timing felt particularly meaningful, with the Sky Arts appearance and Weston Park show aligning to mark a significant moment in her career.

“The work in this upcoming exhibition was made during a period of change, and it feels fitting that the exhibition opens alongside the broadcast,” she says.

“My favourite painting in the exhibition is of a forest scene at Haughmond Hill in Shrewsbury. 

“It’s a walk I do often with my daughter so I have a strong connection to the place and it was captured from an afternoon in Autumn when the light and mist were perfectly highlighting the golden tones in the trees. 

“It feels almost enchanting,” adds Stephanie.

The exhibition begins in the Rose Patterson Gallery on January 30 and runs until March 26. See www.stephanieeufemiaart.com