The Hilltop Glove Podcast | Stephanie Gainer

[00:00:00] DJ And?: Hey everyone. Welcome to back to another episode of the Hilltop Glove Podcast. Today we had the pleasure of speaking with Miss Stephanie Gaynor. Stephanie is a 3D assemblage artist located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her current work involves reconfiguring beloved chil childhood toys and other nostalgic items, and into sculptural forms that often evoke a visceral response from viewers exploring the lines between the disturbing and whimsical, eerie and humorous.

[00:00:23] DJ And?: Stephanie Upcycles, these novelties into magical sculptures that saves the previously found objects from the landfill. She graduated with a bachelor's of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with her focus in ceramics. Afterwards, she obtained a studio in Concord, North Carolina.

[00:00:39] DJ And?: After a while, she advanced appreciation for clay and started using porcelain doll headss to mold for as molds to create quirky mugs, vessels and sculptures just prior to the pandemic hitting and having to close her studio. The journey to creating dark fairytale like assemblages had been revealed and continues to this very day.

[00:00:57] DJ And?: Thank you for joining us today. 

How are you doing, [00:01:00] Ms. Gayton? I'm doing 

[00:01:01] Stephanie Gainer: good. It's a 

beautiful day. Yes. Glad to be here. Thank you so much 

[00:01:04] DJ And?: for joining us. We always like to start the interviews by asking Hi. The interviewee about their early beginnings and influences. So as simple as can be put, can you start by telling our audience a little bit more about yourself and your childhood?

[00:01:17] Stephanie Gainer: I'm originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Oh, wow. So up north again, down south. Yeah. We moved here when I was when we moved to Georgia Augusta area, so not far from Columbia. Wow. Here when I was 13 and it was a. Big difference, coming from Yeah. And we weren't in the city of Cleveland, but we were in the suburbs and moved to the suburbs out in Augusta too.

[00:01:40] Stephanie Gainer: But, but it, it was great. it was a wonderful experience growing up and I think in those teenage years in the south, cuz 

we might have gotten in some more trouble 

[00:01:49] DJ And?: up in, that's what my grandma said. Yeah. Raise them down 

south. Yeah. Yeah, I 

[00:01:53] DJ And?: agree with that. So did you and growing in, growing up in the South, did you have influences [00:02:00] as a child that drove you into the artistic creative space?

[00:02:03] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah, later on in high school. But it actually started still up in Ohio when, this is gonna sound funny, but I had a first grade teacher that I remember to this day, and we were coloring and she showed the whole class my drawing, because I. Darken the out outer edges and then did color the edge. And I'm like, this is really nice.

[00:02:25] Stephanie Gainer: And it stands out. And I remember that, first grade. Yeah. and so I. I really realized how important it's to have teachers in your life who, really respond and encourage you to do more with that. Even though at the time I don't think she realized that she she may have. Yeah.

[00:02:40] Stephanie Gainer: But, at the time, maybe I didn't realize it, but, later on, and then when I was in high school, I took a graphic arts class and they taught us a little bit of everything from. Printmaking to, we actually got to go into an actual dark room. The printer press and everything.

[00:02:55] Stephanie Gainer: And he was very encouraging. And so I wanted to be a commercial [00:03:00] artist at that time. And that I also wanted to be Julie McCoy on the Love Boat at the time, too. It didn't really work out that way, but but yeah, in the south it was, I just had more. Access to urge, I think, went to our parents.

[00:03:15] Stephanie Gainer: Took us and trips through school took us to more museums serious and things like that. Serious. And my kids, when they were growing up, they didn't have as many trips to museums as we did when we were kids. 

[00:03:24] Ta-Myia: Let's take kids a lot of field trips. That's That's the main trip you would take. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:03:29] Ta-Myia: Museums and libraries. 

[00:03:30] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah, yeah, yeah. To see 

[00:03:32] DJ And?: history. Yeah. And see Exactly. 

[00:03:34] Stephanie Gainer: Got you where you're at now. Yeah. It wasn't even necessarily, just art museums. It was natural history. Yeah. Come on. And things like that, 

and that 

[00:03:40] DJ And?: stuff had, that affected the way that you view the world and you view art, correct?

[00:03:44] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Yeah. I think I always, I was always in an artistic way. My brothers, they would kill me as they knew I was talking about this, but I used to put on little plays Yeah. For the parents. Yeah. They were the only always the ones that I dressed up. Only girl. [00:04:00] I'm the only girl. Yeah. Oh yeah. I had I had.

[00:04:03] Stephanie Gainer: Two younger brothers. Okay. And then it's a long story, but it's an amazing story. Go ahead. Sure. Yeah. Four years was this 20, it was almost five years ago. Okay. My half brother contacted me, contacted my cousin on Facebook, and then she contacted me. So I knew about him when I was my. Mid twenties.

[00:04:24] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. My mom got pregnant and was sent to a home from my mother's, back in the day. her mother sent her there. Time there. Yeah. And they hid it from the whole family. Wow. The only people that knew were my mom and my grandmother. And apparently my mom told my dad, cuz one day it slipped out in Yeah, yeah.

[00:04:40] Stephanie Gainer: He joined. I didn't believe him. But I was like, mom, and she's like, yeah, when your brothers get home, we'll, I'll sit down and tell you guys the whole story and then we'll never talk about it again, because nobody in the family knew. Wow. Wow. So she passed away in 2014, but in 2018, my [00:05:00] husband got me a 20 23andme kit.

[00:05:02] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. I mm-hmm. For Christmas. Okay. And Then, I did the whole, put the saliva in the tube. Yeah. And unknowingly, my half brother who was up in Cleveland the whole time, lived 20 minutes from me. What? Oh gosh. Yep. And he got one for his birthday, which ironically, My mother, I think she did it to throw us off the trail a little bit, was my birthday is February 28th.

[00:05:30] Stephanie Gainer: Okay. 1968. She always told me that his birthday was February 27th, 1967, but it was in 66, so that kind of, threw us off. Yeah. And so we found each other and it has been the most amazing five years. Yeah. Wow. It's been incredible. 

[00:05:49] Ta-Myia: That's so crazy. Every time I hear stories about siblings, like living that close to each other, I think it's like spiritual type thing.

[00:05:55] Ta-Myia: Like Yeah. How did y'all even get that close and not 

[00:05:58] Stephanie Gainer: know each other? Oh, yeah. The weird thing is [00:06:00] that he knows a lot of people that my husband know. Oh, wow. Shut the, they played sports and the same areas and his, my husband's father. We believe knew his birth father at some point. Okay. Because of sports and yeah, it was just really wild.

[00:06:17] Stephanie Gainer: The coincidences. Mm-hmm. All the time. Just amazed me still, even to this day, he has two biological brothers, up in Ohio mm-hmm. And two biological sisters. Me and from his birth father's side. Yeah. Here in Charlotte. Oh, wow. Yeah. Mm. What didn't know. Yeah. Yeah. it's crazy. 

Good. Gosh.

So how did that, so how did that change your life? 

[00:06:40] Stephanie Gainer: it made my world a lot smaller, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And to so I'm the oldest. 

I, I thought it, you thought about it was the 

[00:06:47] Stephanie Gainer: oldest. And then my, my brother one year younger than me, he passed away in 2008. And Not replacing, the newfound brother, but they were so much alike.

[00:06:57] Stephanie Gainer: They, they would've Yeah. Loved each other [00:07:00] dearly. And I, it was just another sign, of that fair, this, world, we evolve, we transform and change. And I know that sounds really hokey, but No, no point. Just everything comes around. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And his kids are great.

[00:07:17] Stephanie Gainer: His wife is great. And we just, it was just, it was very easy. Yeah. It was very easy. Yeah. You didn't have to 

[00:07:24] DJ And?: force anything. It felt like it was be there. 

[00:07:25] Stephanie Gainer: Nothing. Nothing. It was funny cuz when when I actually went up to Ohio to meet him for the first time we had talked on the phone.

[00:07:32] Stephanie Gainer: Mm-hmm. For five hours we talked the first time and I think I cried three of 'em. Wow. But But when we finally met, I'm coming down the escalator at the airport. Yeah. And he's got a sign that says Sister Uhhuh

[00:07:43] Stephanie Gainer: know. It was just, it's just still today 

the best, best story. I love it, man. It's a great 

[00:07:50] DJ And?: story because especially with the stuff that we're talking about today, it's right on the money of understanding like, Family connections, spirituality, and, and just knowing where you're going or how things [00:08:00] are influencing you there.

[00:08:01] DJ And?: Yeah. You as an artist, when did you realize that this was what you wanted to do as your, first of all, as your educational goals? Yeah. And then moving forward into adulthood. 

[00:08:13] Stephanie Gainer: I pretty much knew all my life, except for that little, stint where I wanted to be on the love boat. Love boat.

[00:08:19] Stephanie Gainer: Thanks. Now 

swear. Yeah. Love boat. Good. Now I'm playing with it. 

[00:08:23] Stephanie Gainer: I always knew I wanted to be an artist in some capacity, but I didn't go to college right after high school. Mm-hmm. Which my mom really wanted me to, and I just wanted to take that year off to find myself and, well.

[00:08:34] Stephanie Gainer: I found myself making money and not going back to school. And then I got married for a short, short stint and. He didn't really want me to, further my education, so I didn't, and then I was a, I, I like to call myself a late bloomer because yeah, I didn't go, didn't start college until I was like 38.

[00:08:54] Stephanie Gainer: That's, and we waited until my, I have two children and waited until my youngest started kindergarten [00:09:00] and then I started college. Okay. So that was about 2000. Two, two thou, 2004. It took me eight years, let's just say. It took me a while, a long experience. It was incredible. Yeah. Yeah. I'm telling you, I got so much from, from going to school with these younger Yeah.

[00:09:18] Stephanie Gainer: Kids. Yeah. And, and seeing their ideas and seeing how they think out of the box and, and how they just treat everyday life and, and even, being the mom, because I was older, it. I get that a lot. Like You mean in the studio? One of the girls calls me her studio mom. Yeah. Seeing some of their struggles and, and being able to maybe just lend another voice.

[00:09:38] Stephanie Gainer: Not necessarily, your parents can tell you the same thing somebody else 

tells you. But when it 

[00:09:42] Stephanie Gainer: comes from a peer Exactly, exactly. Somebody else, you're like, oh, mm-hmm. Exactly right. Wisdom. Yeah. Oh, I know what this is when I'd help my kids with their art pro or try to help my kids with their art projects, 

but I'm 

[00:09:52] Stephanie Gainer: paying attention to pieces.

[00:09:53] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah, yeah. So it was, and then the relationship I had with some of the professors too, because it was [00:10:00] different. Some of 'em Oh, 

oh, I ain't explain. Cause that was close 

[00:10:03] Stephanie Gainer: to their age 

and a lot of them. Yeah. I used to work 

[00:10:05] DJ And?: in a for a program. It was a, a department of education. It was a trio based program and we worked with non-traditional students.

[00:10:12] DJ And?: Mm-hmm. And so I had students. Who would be, they would be adults with children and they'd be in my program and I would be their counselor. It was weird cause I was like, I was like 26 years old. Oh yeah. Wow. So they were looking at you? Yeah, and they're like 35 and they'd come to my office and they'd talk to me about certain things that were going on, things they need assistance with and stuff.

[00:10:27] DJ And?: Mm-hmm. And one thing I used to always utilize them for utilize them, it's always like, Hey Could you speak with our students about life and how to maintain Right. What you're doing. And so like for instance, I never even thought about the fact that their communication, and they used to tell me this too, their communication with professors totally different Yeah.

[00:10:46] DJ And?: Than it was with the younger students. So you were almost a one-on-one peer with the professor. 

[00:10:52] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Yeah, for the most part, I think that there were some that were a little bit harder on the non-traditional students. That's what I was wondering [00:11:00] because, they, I don't know that I can't get into their heads, but I don't know if they thought that you thought it was gonna be easy, an easy a, because you're more mature and mm-hmm.

[00:11:09] Stephanie Gainer: And everything but. I had some difficulties with one, in a class. And, and we came through it and I still did good in the class, but it was interesting. But the rest of my experience with the other professors, excellent, incredible. I have some friends now, was that 

professor, 

[00:11:26] DJ And?: a math professor?

[00:11:27] Stephanie Gainer: No, they were art. They were all, they were art professors, art 

professor. It was, wow. This is, 

[00:11:32] Ta-Myia: my father's had a, they don't discriminate. They, they, I remember I had someone, a lady in my class that was older and She, I don't know if she thought that she was gonna get a easy grade, but it make you work just as hard as Oh yeah.

[00:11:42] Ta-Myia: Else. Like they don't want, if you got a family at home, like mm-hmm. You got kids, oh yeah. You're gonna do your homework and you're gonna submit it and it's gonna be 

[00:11:49] Stephanie Gainer: graded equally. Yeah. Because they say about, I can't remember exactly how many hours it is now, but they, you can look it up, but it says for every hour long your [00:12:00] classes, you have to, I'm three hours gonna say it's like four, three to four hours.

[00:12:02] Stephanie Gainer: It might be longer for an hour. It, it was Cause art's different. You're right, they said it was longer than it was for nursing. Yeah. Cuz my 

[00:12:08] Ta-Myia: classes were three hours long in art. Each class was three hours. So 

[00:12:12] DJ And?: outside of that, you're spending 10 to 12 hours. 

[00:12:14] Stephanie Gainer: Doing homework. Oh, there were, they did not 

[00:12:15] Ta-Myia: care if you had other classes.

[00:12:17] Ta-Myia: Yeah. 

[00:12:17] Stephanie Gainer: They don't care. And there were times where I didn't go home until the sun was coming up. Yeah. Especially in, RAs, which I loved in the studio. Yeah. Yeah. Because it just takes so long sometimes to fire your kiln and, depending on what you're doing. But I loved every minute of it, I felt guilty at times, not being home.

[00:12:32] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. With my husband. We will, we've been marrying for almost 20 26 years now. Congratulations. Thank you. And. He has been supportive. From the beginning he pushed me to go to school. 

[00:12:43] Ta-Myia: Mm. Yeah. That's amazing to have the support. Yeah. Especially when you're older, you, cuz you have so much already on your plate and you're like, why can't juggle all this and Right.

[00:12:51] Ta-Myia: You maintain good grades at and 

[00:12:53] Stephanie Gainer: quality worked and you don't wanna give that up somebody. Mm-hmm. Oh yeah. He was, great and, We've known each other since we were 12 years [00:13:00] old. He was actually my first kiss when I was 13. Shut the front door. So I ran home, I jumped fences. Oh my God, that looks so funny.

[00:13:07] Stephanie Gainer: And it just broke my heart when we moved to Georgia, because I left him, you know he's back in Cleveland. Yeah, this was back up in Cleveland. Yeah. But he's a Steelers fan and we don't love, 

oh my. Gosh. 

[00:13:17] Stephanie Gainer: I ain't a make Browns fan, so you know how loyal 

I am. 

[00:13:21] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. If I'm still a Browns 

fan, you're still 

[00:13:23] DJ And?: there. Yeah, that's right. They stole the team getting all the fake 

[00:13:26] Stephanie Gainer: replacement team and No, that's, yeah. He likes to remind me that every bit here go to Ravens play. Yeah. It's still real Browns. Yeah, Browns. No, it's not 

[00:13:34] DJ And?: me. But that's, that's interesting. So like, so you're doing. You're, you're this non-traditional student.

[00:13:39] DJ And?: You're getting this degree, you're chasing your, your dream, of course, of being a working artist. With that being said, did you have any thought in your mind of what the outcome was gonna look like five to 10 years after you did you have 

[00:13:53] Stephanie Gainer: a plan? We had a class where we actually had to plan.

[00:13:56] Stephanie Gainer: That's what I was wondering. Plan, five to 10 years. And it was, it was a great [00:14:00] class. It does. My plan didn't look anything like what I had put down on paper. I had this big studio, blah, blah, blah, blah. But life happens. Yeah. And you work around life, or you go with life however you wanna stay.

[00:14:12] Stephanie Gainer: Say that, sometimes it feels like you're working around life. Yeah. But sometimes, the flow is there and, and everything just falls into place. Just like getting the studio not too long after, I graduated and, and then the. Yeah, I had it for a few years and then the pandemic hit and just thought it was best to close it down cause close that, we were doing clay and, and everything and that was really heartbreaking.

[00:14:36] Stephanie Gainer: Mm. To me, because that is my outlet and it's not even like if I'm really upset about something, I can't go into the studio and work out. My feelings in art. I don't know why. And I hear a lot of artists who can do that. Mm-hmm. And I guess that's why, a lot of their work is so emotional and everything.

[00:14:52] Stephanie Gainer: I have to be in a happy place Yeah. To go through your art and Yeah. And cuz I like humor and I like to put as much [00:15:00] humor into that Yeah. As I can. And there's some pieces that I, want to do that are more emotional. I just haven't, I just 

haven't been able to do them. 

[00:15:09] DJ And?: That's interesting to hear because like you were saying, I know we were discussing this earlier that the importance of emotion and art and sometimes people do feel a need to make sure that that is something that is on display and that you feel when you see it.

[00:15:21] DJ And?: But I like where you're 

coming from. Yeah. I like, yeah, I like do, I do. I'm happy. 

[00:15:25] DJ And?: Yeah. I like to have a clean space. First of all, clean the space. Oh my gosh, yes. And then after it's clean, I'm be a happy mood. I'm gonna have some light in there. I'm gonna plan on something I want to see and I'm be excited.

[00:15:35] DJ And?: And when I'm happy, I'll go ahead and create art. If I'm not, I'm not touching any art. Yeah. I'm leaving alone. That 

[00:15:40] Ta-Myia: opposite I create when I'm mad. 

[00:15:43] Stephanie Gainer: Mm-hmm. And isn't that wild how we do? Yeah. Yeah. I'm mad in like a And that cause that's a great outlet for you. Yeah. But yeah, you just have to, and I'm kinda the same way.

[00:15:52] Stephanie Gainer: I have to, my studio can get a little messy. Yeah. But it's not when you start, not, not typically. If I'm getting ready to do a [00:16:00] show, man, that place is a disaster. For about a month I just tried to cram it all and in corner, you saw how swallow my space and this is not, it really did.

[00:16:06] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Yeah. But But yeah, typically I wanna have everything just clear. Yeah. Be able to get in there, not have to worry about anything. I love my studio mates out there. Yeah. And sometimes I have to set myself from talking, so you do work so I can actually work. For sure.

[00:16:20] Ta-Myia: How do you get ready? Do you like, Some people like sage put like music on light a candle. Like what's your get ready? 

[00:16:26] Stephanie Gainer: Do you do any of that? Yeah, no, I, I like to listen to music or I like to watch one of my goofy shows that my husband doesn't like, I'm really into New Amsterdam right now and or I'll listen to podcasts.

[00:16:37] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. I wish I could just sit down and read a book. I know that has nothing to do with the studio, but I was, what Tanya was talking about. But I am thankful to have an, an audio 

books. Yeah, audio books. Like the day. 

[00:16:48] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Yes. I, I just, if I'm sitting there reading, I used to love to read and I used to be able to just read for hours, but now I feel like I have too many other things to do.

[00:16:57] Stephanie Gainer: I guess it feels like I'm school ruined it too. I think. 

[00:16:59] DJ And?: See, [00:17:00] because you had forced compulsory reading is is something that I think is Yeah, yeah, 

yeah. I noticed sometimes more so since, yeah. Yeah. 

[00:17:07] DJ And?: I wish that was something that wasn't. A part of education, but I guess it has to be, you have to read some text.

[00:17:12] DJ And?: Oh my God. In order to move forward, but like compulsory reading just for the sake of it. 

[00:17:15] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. One of my art history classes, sometimes we had to read like a hundred pages. That's rough. Yeah. And then, come up with something intelligent to say and you're like, what was page? 

Yeah, 

[00:17:27] DJ And?: yeah.

[00:17:27] DJ And?: After, after reading these a hundred pages, tell us what you read about how you 

[00:17:31] Stephanie Gainer: feel. Yes, I remember, this one art history class I had was so early in the morning. I would take notes and I would go back through my notes and there was like a flat line, because 

I would Fuck me. See, see no word.

Exactly. Yeah. That's so funny. 

[00:17:46] DJ And?: But it's a question about mediums. I know working, like you're talking about, we were working with clay. Very challenging process. Mm-hmm. Especially dealing with sculpting, carving, modeling, assembly and casting. Can you tell us some of the benefits of using [00:18:00] porcelain to craft your pieces and also your design process from conception?

[00:18:04] DJ And?: And before you jump into it, I'm let people know. I really like what she does. It's, it is really, I dig your work. I dig your work. Cause I, I, I like the, the style of 

art that you 

[00:18:16] Stephanie Gainer: do. Thank you. Yeah. The. The clay, so have you ever. Touch that. Yeah, I definitely, 

[00:18:23] Ta-Myia: I did sculpture class, so I know exactly what 

[00:18:25] Stephanie Gainer: you have.

[00:18:25] Stephanie Gainer: Like in sculpture, the clay's a little it may have some bubbles and wet Yeah. Yeah. And, it might have more grogg in it. Yeah. And everything, especially the sculpture. So that stays together, but for a simple way to put it. But porcelain is like butter. Mm-hmm. This stuff don't do none of that.

[00:18:42] Stephanie Gainer: Oh my gosh. This so nice. And I feel so good in your hands. And, and but when I first started doing clay, actually I was really into illustration and then I took a 3D class. Oh. Oh wow. And I got hooked doing a clay and But I'm not a functional pottery [00:19:00] person. Like, like the plates and the cups good and stuff like that.

[00:19:03] Stephanie Gainer: We had a butter dish that broke. It took me two years to finally make one to 

bring it home. My husband's like, you ever think we'll get a butter dish? And I'm, it's 

[00:19:11] Stephanie Gainer: kinda Wait, the plumber's pipes, right? Yeah. Yeah. So that's where I really got into more of the sculptural element of it.

[00:19:17] Stephanie Gainer: And then somebody gave me some porcelain doll head molds and. They're made of plaster and I can't stand. You feel a plaster? It's like greed. Oh my gosh, yes. Like nails on a chalk wash. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Okay. The texture of is gross. But that's when I started making some 

mugs and vases and, 

[00:19:34] Stephanie Gainer: even smashing it, to see what I could come up with and then, During that time, my kids had gotten me a 

box of 

[00:19:41] Stephanie Gainer: doll 

parts.

I like it. 

[00:19:43] DJ And?: Yeah. So that's 

how you got in doll parts? 

[00:19:45] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah, that's how I got into doll parts. So this was before the studio even close. I was doing that and Uhhuh, I had actually made some heads for some of the things I was making and, and then I. And then as the pandemic hit, I just had, I couldn't do anything with Clay really.

[00:19:59] Stephanie Gainer: Because there was [00:20:00] nowhere to really fire it or anything either. And so I started going full-time, 

on the 

[00:20:05] Stephanie Gainer: dolls. 

Now 

[00:20:06] DJ And?: this is, this is the cool part. First of all, you rock some nice hearings. I feel the hearings. 

You like my skull, Uhhuh. Thank you. Dope. 

[00:20:14] Stephanie Gainer: That's a clean city then.

[00:20:16] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. 

You gotta represent. Yep. 

[00:20:18] DJ And?: So now this is what I always, all right, because I know we had this little conversation when we met you over in the spot, so I'm really into, into spooky, haunting stuff. 

Mm-hmm. I'm like, yeah, that's what I do. I watch that stuff in my, yeah. 

[00:20:31] DJ And?: I don't by myself. Last weekend at the house.

[00:20:33] DJ And?: Guess what I was watching? Spooky haunted stuff. And then when I would hear stuff in the 

house, I ain't worried about it. I know, I know the, I know the ghost. 

[00:20:39] DJ And?: The spirit's name is Sam. So I talk to him like, Hey Sam, 

that's my son's name. Stop playing. Yep. Yep. 

[00:20:44] DJ And?: That's ask. She'll tell you. I'll be talking like, Hey Sam.

[00:20:47] DJ And?: I'll be, sometimes I'll be sitting on the couch. It'll be like, Sam's trying to stay up late. There'll be two or three in the morning. Sam will tap me on my shoulder. I'll wake up, go to bed. Cuz Sam tell me, you go right. Get up, go to bed. So I get up, I go to bed. I ain't got little fear yourself. Is it 

For real?

Yeah. I'm not lying. 

[00:20:59] DJ And?: [00:21:00] Look. Yes. You thought was a joke. This ain't even a joke. This is for real. Here tomorrow. Yes. Have you not saying it makes sense. No, I don't know who saying Yeah, he ain't get the chance to meet Sam yet. But like me and Sam, we hang out. We cool man. Oh, cuz Sam, making sure that I'm staying on point.

[00:21:13] DJ And?: That's right. That's always like, say Sam doesn't do, I ain't, I don't have, Sam doesn't do anything negative. But this is interesting because a lot of things I watch. They deal with dolls. Mm-hmm. And dolls often play scary roles. Yeah. In horror movies. That's how people think about it. Yep. Even on some of the things that I'll watch, the Dolls will be sitting like in the closet and they'll start swinging their legs by themselves, or they'll talk or move their mouths or start looking, and this is one those cool, it's like these two dolls are hanging out and they're kinda like the guy, he didn't realize this.

[00:21:40] DJ And?: He was like, I think the dolls are connected, because when I take this one doll away, the other dog gets angry. So I put it back and then they're happy again. So they realize like the dolls were like mates. So he keeps the dolls together. Is this like a paranormal? Yeah. And this gentleman that I was following, he actually collects dolls in general.

[00:21:55] DJ And?: It's a big thing that's just antiques. And so he has a full room of nothing but dolls. And so all these dolls are [00:22:00] like, he gets 'em from different, various areas. And so one of the things, first things first is how do you source your doll 

[00:22:07] Stephanie Gainer: supplies? I go to antique stores, see 

thrift stores. 

[00:22:12] Stephanie Gainer: Sometimes people give them to me.

[00:22:14] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Which is really awesome. That's cool. Cause then it's a little bit more personal, with the project. But I want them, I don't want them pristine out of the box, yep. Like a collector's item. I want 'em loved, yeah. I wanna see that hand that, that dog's chewed on or, mm-hmm.

[00:22:27] Stephanie Gainer: Or, the little girl that accidentally, broke off the arm and dad put it back on with some super glue or whatever, I want them loved. Yeah. And, and the other thing about getting 'em at antique stores and, thrift stores and stuff is, I feel like I save 'em from the landfill for a little bit longer.

Yeah. Yeah. Unfortunately. Eventually. Eventually it'll get 

[00:22:44] DJ And?: there. Can get there. Yeah. But you make 

some use out of it. 

[00:22:46] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Yeah. And I apologize to him as I'm taking him apart. You tell so sorry. I do talk. Yeah, I know that sounds weird. Oh no it not. Oh my God. I can't believe I just said that.

[00:22:54] Stephanie Gainer: No, it's not. Its like, yeah, it be better when you're 

all bad. When I get you all [00:23:00] purdy out, don't look good. Nah. 

[00:23:02] DJ And?: Cause No, at least what she's saying. What? Like at least to like, what is your intention when you create. Those dark fairytale like pieces. 

[00:23:10] Stephanie Gainer: I don't go into it thinking of dark fairytale, but that is what it ends up.

[00:23:14] Stephanie Gainer: That's what, yeah. Being I, I like that analogy. Yeah. I don't go in for the horror now around Halloween. I will make some little, push it a little bit. Yeah. Push it a little bit, make some bride zombies and little blood zombie dripping down or whatever. But I like the fairytale feature that ends up happening, or the toy story, it gets compared to Toy Story a lot.

[00:23:34] Stephanie Gainer: What I was thinking of 

[00:23:35] Ta-Myia: Toy Story when you were like broken pieces and Yeah, yeah. Broken arms, 

[00:23:39] Stephanie Gainer: like broken pieces have a place too, they do. I. I have doll parts kinda laying around the apartment. My husband, okay. He's very supportive of me in any art that I do, but he hates this and I, I tell him all the time, just behave and I won't put one on your nightstand.

The morning. Wait, are these places in places on purpose, or does he [00:24:00] Oh yes. 

[00:24:00] Stephanie Gainer: Okay. I put 'em all over the place. Yeah. And during the pandemic I made little masks Yeah. For some of them 

now, like a little doll mask. 

[00:24:08] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. And. But no, I totally went off the rail there. I forgot what I was talking about.

So we we're talking about 

[00:24:14] Stephanie Gainer: the dark ver tales. Yeah. Yeah. And so I don't, my intent is not horror. Mm-hmm. It's just when I see some of these faces are so beautiful, like some of them and I get are just the heads. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Just that and like with a little eye broken or, or the crack from the Yeah.

[00:24:29] Stephanie Gainer: You touch it and the eyes go crazy, right? Mm-hmm. And. And they're just so beautiful. I just, I don't know what I'm gonna do with them at the time, and that's how I, how I pick them. I, I'm attracted to whatever, the doll is, and like I said, sometimes it's parts, sometimes it's the heads, or sometimes it's the whole piece.

[00:24:46] Stephanie Gainer: And then the parts that I Assemble with them are a totally different shopping trip. Yeah. Or there's stuff finding around the house. Yeah. Like did you see the alligator one have Yeah. It's the one you broke 

[00:24:57] DJ And?: down for me. The alligator. Yeah. Yeah. That's so [00:25:00] cool. One.

[00:25:00] DJ And?: Yep, that's true. Mall. 

[00:25:02] Ta-Myia: That's our next 

interview. 

[00:25:05] DJ And?: That's our, actually our, this is Kid. 

[00:25:07] Stephanie Gainer: Hey, nice to meet you. Hi, I'm Stephanie. Nice to meet you. 

[00:25:12] DJ And?: No, Scott in the back over court where you record

[00:25:15] DJ And?: Palm. 

Hell 

[00:25:15] Ta-Myia: tell the Curtis Po silent if he 

come back in here. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

All right, cool. 

[00:25:20] DJ And?: All right, so back to what we were sa, what we were talking about with those pieces and like how you would take the different parts from different things that occurred. We were talking about. The alligator piece. Yeah. So what goes in comes out. 

[00:25:32] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. I get that. It's great.

[00:25:34] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah, it's great. There's a little content right there yeah. That had been traveling with us in boxes for years. Yeah. My oldest is 26. He lives out in Seattle. Yeah. And it was in the closet. Broken, the tail broke off and I'm like, mm-hmm. Perfect. There's a doll that's gonna go with the mouth.

[00:25:52] Stephanie Gainer: Mouth and there's gonna, and the other part of it's gonna go at the end, oh, wow. So usually I don't have a concept or an [00:26:00] idea. I just want. I just want it to be funny in some way. That's 

[00:26:03] DJ And?: what I was about to say. I do see the humor Yeah. In the work. Yeah. It's not, and that's what I was trying to like, it's creepy, it's not scary.

[00:26:10] DJ And?: Mm-hmm. Do you know what I mean? Mm-hmm. Like I said, it's not, it's not really, is not horror. Yeah. It's just like a funny child. Yeah. Like how would you put this back together? Yeah. 

[00:26:18] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. And it's funny, one of my favorite things is, The visceral response of people who go by my studio. Yeah. Because dolls are creepy.

[00:26:26] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Just by themselves. nothing else, that is needed. It's just, creepy. But. So where I sit in there, I'm hidden from people all the times. She didn't see her, she 

[00:26:35] DJ And?: didn't even know you were in there. Didn't even know 

[00:26:36] Stephanie Gainer: she was in there. I know.

[00:26:38] Stephanie Gainer: And to listen to people. It is hilarious. I, that's not, when he was walking by, 

[00:26:41] Ta-Myia: I was like, sh she, she, she right there. She just talked to her, be quiet and then here like, oh, 

there you are. I was like, 

[00:26:47] DJ And?: I was, I walked, I walked right up on her. I was just like, Hey, this is who I wanted to speak with anyway.

[00:26:53] DJ And?: Yeah, we're called. Matter of fact is, like I said, we're record. Let me find the chair. We got some chairs. Do we [00:27:00] have 'em? They're stuff double stacked right there. 

[00:27:01] Stephanie Gainer: Yes. I can move my purse and my cup. 

[00:27:05] Ta-Myia: Yeah, it is. Bring her purse over here by her and then y'all can sit there. Just say, sure. It falls all 

[00:27:09] DJ And?: silent.

[00:27:09] DJ And?: Yeah. Phones on silent. Silent. Thank you. They actually do also,

[00:27:13] DJ And?: If you get, get caught in a clip, it's all right. Feel like I better to hide the store. Yep. All right. Ready? I got notes. All right. All right, like we're saying. So the, it's not that the first of all, going back to your space, how you're hidden in your little space. Mm-hmm. So when you come in, like I did, I came in, I said, Ooh, look, it's 

creepy dolls.

I know. I, so I was like, Hey, 

[00:27:32] Stephanie Gainer: bitch, she's right here. We're gonna roll my chair back. And Heather, 

she, she's making these on purpose. And 

[00:27:37] DJ And?: Right. Like I said, being like being an adult. Yeah. So like taking that, idea and then running with it, My big question too mm-hmm. Is do you ever feel dark spirit energy from the finished pieces as they sit in your studio?

[00:27:50] DJ And?: Do any of the pieces or dolls that you collect, do they give you any weird energy 

[00:27:55] Stephanie Gainer: There's two dolls, Uhhuh, that I have not done anything with, and they're wrapped [00:28:00] up in paper, in the stool in my studio. they creep. And that's a lot for me to say, that they creep me out, but yeah, I'm just not there yet.

Did 

[00:28:08] DJ And?: you, where did you get 'em from? Where did you, where did you source '

[00:28:11] Stephanie Gainer: em from? They were here in Charlotte. I think one was out. No, I take it back. One I got online Facebook marketplace, that's work place today. And the other one was I think in Matthew's area that I seriously, yeah. Yeah. 

[00:28:24] Ta-Myia: Do you cleanse any of your dolls or 

[00:28:27] Stephanie Gainer: like spiritual cleanse or Yeah, spiritual 

[00:28:29] Ta-Myia: cleanse.

[00:28:30] Ta-Myia: White cleanses, like spiritual cleanse, like energy. 

[00:28:33] DJ And?: Yes. Sage, save them 

[00:28:34] Stephanie Gainer: maybes. I might these too. I don't know. There's two done 

that. Yeah. 

[00:28:39] DJ And?: Cause he's. Show me and they wrapped up. They in that thing They ain't coming 

out. Yeah, she is 

[00:28:42] Stephanie Gainer: like trapped. Okay. Strong. Yeah. The one that stuffings all coming out and the eyes are like, and yeah.

[00:28:48] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. She worries me a little bit, but. 

[00:28:50] DJ And?: For the most part. have you ever, 

[00:28:51] Stephanie Gainer: the sage might be a good idea? Yeah. No, seriously. 

Have you experienced 

[00:28:54] Stephanie Gainer: anything weird at your house? I haven't, no. Honestly, I 

ain't got no Sams at your house besides 

[00:28:58] Stephanie Gainer: your son. No. [00:29:00] Sam's No. You could all a funny story, I have a funny story.

[00:29:03] Stephanie Gainer: My mom might've had Sam's at her house because she would tell us stories when they had an uncle that, she had an uncle that got hit by a drunk driver when he was walking or something. Mm-hmm. She said she used to play ball with him up in the attics. She would be at the bottom of the stairs and she would throw the ball up and she said, it wasn't like it would just roll back down.

[00:29:19] Stephanie Gainer: She was like, it was like somebody tossed it down. Wow. And then this one, She even laughed. It was like a couple days before she passed away and I'm standing there talking to her and she's looking at the end of the bed and she's like, you see her? And I said, no. And she said, yeah, that there's a girl right there.

[00:29:35] Stephanie Gainer: And I said, I don't see her mom. I said, what does she want? Mom says she wants to talk to you. And I said, oh no, she doesn't wanna talk to me. No, 

no. She needs to talk to you,

[00:29:44] Stephanie Gainer: not me. 

He said, I ain't got nothing 

[00:29:46] DJ And?: to do with that. So I, I ain't touch that at all. So with this type of specialized work, what kind of customers are attracted to you? Have you, like, have you been paying attention to the kind of cup customer base? You know what's 

so 

[00:29:59] Stephanie Gainer: funny? What's that? [00:30:00] Men are see the biggest buyers of my work.

[00:30:03] Stephanie Gainer: I believe it then from probably I. I would say in their thirties to fifties. See, 

that's my age range. That's, that's me. 

[00:30:11] Stephanie Gainer: I'm the demographic. And they will drag their wives. See, over there I'm the demographic. Yeah. And the wi. Yeah, you are. And the wives, half the time they'll come and half time they won't. Or your girlfriends, but Yeah.

[00:30:22] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. I was so surprised. 

[00:30:24] DJ And?: Isn't that interesting? Another thing that you reminded me of too, especially like once I got back home and started processing it, it reminded 

[00:30:30] Stephanie Gainer: me of the lamp off the Christmas story. 

[00:30:32] DJ And?: Oh, mm-hmm. Yeah. Reminded me of that. The leg lamp. The leg lamp. 

[00:30:36] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I never thought about it like that too, but yeah.

[00:30:39] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Yeah. Fraile, 

[00:30:41] DJ And?: yes. Fraile, yes. Fragile. You from fragile. Yes. Fragile. 

[00:30:46] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. I, I never thought about that. And 

[00:30:48] DJ And?: that was one of the things that I think surprised me about when I was looking at your art. One of the things that caught me wa was the way in which you were producing it. It was very exact.

[00:30:58] DJ And?: Mm-hmm. And I was explaining [00:31:00] that to my wife when I went home. I was like, it's not, she's not haphazardly throwing together pieces. And we were going over your, your portfolio and looking at it. Mm-hmm. Last night I was showing her everything again. Like, this is what I was seeing. This is what was here.

[00:31:10] DJ And?: Look how cool this is. And she was like, wow. She's like, this stuff is like, it's put legit, it's legit sense. It's put together. It's not like you just take some tape and wrap this stuff up and throw it out there. These are pieces of artwork that stand by 

[00:31:22] Stephanie Gainer: themselves. They might come from the ceramics background, uhhuh, because everything is so fragile.

[00:31:27] Stephanie Gainer: Mm-hmm. And you wanna make sure that it's made well. Mm-hmm. And as a matter of fact, when I do some shows and things, if somebody wants. I always tell people, pick it up. I said, that way it tells me if I've made any mistakes in making it. Mm-hmm. And I can hopefully fix it. Yeah. Or you have to pick something else because mm-hmm.

[00:31:43] Stephanie Gainer: I messed up. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I don't want it to break and then I'm trying to get into more moving parts and, things like that too. So that's going to be a challenge of putting it together. I know. So that it can, yeah. That's so 

[00:31:55] Ta-Myia: in different cuz most. All art stuffle go like, don't touch.

[00:31:58] Ta-Myia: You know how used see that? I know. I like 

[00:32:00] touch, don't touch, like don't pick it up. Yep. Yeah, that's what I was worried about. So 

[00:32:03] DJ And?: I didn't wanna touch anything they were telling me. No, 

[00:32:05] Stephanie Gainer: go ahead. Yeah. I love people to pick up like the alligator one. Yeah. So my first try and there's no way I can fix it, but I used for the.

[00:32:14] Stephanie Gainer: Legs of the doll. Yeah. I used some sculpty clay to try to stuff the end of the alligator and then put the legs in there. The first one dried and it shrunk so much. Oh. That I couldn't, but it didn't shrink enough to get it out. When I used the next piece and I put it over it, now it kinda rattles.

[00:32:32] Stephanie Gainer: Cause there's a, let's sound. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, it is. It's a lot of problem because I may have an idea of something going together that's just not gonna work. I'm pretty good with knowing about different adhesives and stuff like that. I, I was about to ask you, how do you 

[00:32:45] Ta-Myia: glue 

[00:32:45] Stephanie Gainer: this stuff together?

[00:32:46] Stephanie Gainer: E 6,000 is a Miracle Blade. Say it again. E 6,000. Let 

me show that. They hear that E 6,000 and it's a 

[00:32:52] Stephanie Gainer: really good, really good glue and it will even glue like porcelain Yeah. Know things. Mm-hmm. Even though it's porous. Yeah. But [00:33:00] you, if you put the glue on both pieces No. And adhere it that way. I use glute.

Glue guns and mm-hmm. And that's 

[00:33:06] Kevin (Generated): another thing I thought was cool about your space. I told my, I was like, yo, it's like I went into like Madman's research lab. Like you had everything in there and you have your little, I said she has tools and hardwood layer, like she's going to 

work with me. You still have my craftsman 

[00:33:18] Stephanie Gainer: toolbox.

[00:33:19] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. I had a Christmas for my husband and my kids. That was my Christmas gift. I love that thing. Sure. 

Yeah, exactly. No, I was in, yeah, 

[00:33:25] Stephanie Gainer: exactly. Yeah. Yeah, I have, saw I, I have more tools than my husband does. That's what I was about. I figure that 

[00:33:31] Ta-Myia: now my favorite piece is the one that's outside your studio was the actual painting with the room.

[00:33:36] Ta-Myia: The ones coming out of it. Yeah, I like that. 

[00:33:38] Stephanie Gainer: That one was a specific, so I had a series of doing mushrooms. Mm-hmm. And I was trying to think of like urban decay. So I have this paint that does a patina feel, and so I made these mushroom caps with. Legs, basically for the STEM men.

[00:33:54] Stephanie Gainer: And then we did a workshop at Cal for different artists, came in for a week and, [00:34:00] told us their stories and, different things about their careers. And, and then at the end of it, it was sponsored by Truist Bank. Oh. And so if you did this workshop, truist had an art gala. And so I thought I'll do.

[00:34:11] Stephanie Gainer: Something from one of my pieces and that I had a piece that had the mushroom with the leg and it and everything. So that's how that one came out about. That's dope. And I learned how to spray paint from one of the artists that week too. For Really? Yeah. I didn't, I had never really used, just to, spray paint.

[00:34:24] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah, yeah. Cool. Object, but not, layering it and everything 

like that. Yeah. Cuz I see 

[00:34:29] DJ And?: like in your work that you had, that you used, Spray paint, art, paint, et cetera, to color the do. 

[00:34:36] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. I use so many different mediums markers, 

charcoal 

[00:34:40] Stephanie Gainer: wax, there's a lot of, 

there's no, there's nothing that's off limits.

Okay. That's 

[00:34:45] DJ And?: what I like about it too. Yeah, that's what I think. I like, there's no 

[00:34:47] Stephanie Gainer: boundary to it. Thanks. It's just pain to store all this stuff. Yeah. This says a lot 

that 

[00:34:51] DJ And?: goes into work. And I guess just to make sure that we're rounding out properly today, Must ask you this. Of course, you heard this question already.

[00:34:59] DJ And?: Mm-hmm. So you [00:35:00] should be prepared for it. Okay. We all know that mental health should be a top priority for Everybo, for everyone in today's society. So how do you balance your work in your daily life? 

[00:35:08] Stephanie Gainer: Well, It's like you and I were talking about, 

Marker

[00:35:09] Stephanie Gainer: you can go in and work from an emotional state, whether it's happy, sad or mad or whatever.

[00:35:16] Stephanie Gainer: I can't get anywhere done that way. So as far as mental health, I try to do, other things? Mm-hmm. Talking to a friend or going for a walk or going to view art. Yeah. To me that, that is very good for my mental health, of seeing other artists. Who are new artists and are making it now.

[00:35:35] Stephanie Gainer: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Or or seeing the old masters, Rembrandt and, I just love every bit of art I can consume. I like going to conventions. We just had a great show last night, I think it was called Sheen. I. I think they had started putting up some of this stuff when you guys were there for Yeah, yeah.

[00:35:54] Stephanie Gainer: Bullet and even going to see, bullet bullets and bandaids. That, that was incredible. And I just, [00:36:00] I, and also, if I could go to school again, I'd be a full-time student forever. I love to learn and, learn new mediums and, and everything. But the mental. So my two children are creatives as well.

[00:36:12] Stephanie Gainer: One does video game design. Cool. And the other one is props artist, for theater. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And my youngest has a little bit more anxiety and I tell him, be with like-minded people. Mm-hmm. Not to the point where I. You're taking on somebody else's problems or anything like that, but, helping to uplift somebody else.

[00:36:32] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. 

Offense helps yourself. A lot of times somebody's going through 

[00:36:35] Stephanie Gainer: the same thing, and I, I, I think just those are important. I, I really like the idea of people being able to work out. They're issues through art. Mm-hmm. I wish I could like art therapy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wish I could, when you know, there's something really emotional going on or I'm mad about something.

[00:36:53] Stephanie Gainer: I'd love to be able to just scribble on there. But then all I see is scribble. I don't see anything come of it. Yeah. And yeah. I gives you, and like [00:37:00] I'm, I love abstract art. Yeah. Because I am not that free. Free. It's so hard. 

It is vulnerable. We keep 

[00:37:07] DJ And?: hitting that point today. We keep hitting that point.

[00:37:09] DJ And?: Yeah. It's hard to do just. Yeah. Like abstract 

[00:37:12] Stephanie Gainer: art. Yeah. Like, you know the lines, somebody just, does a line and then a color block here and a color block here. It's like, I can't remember the artist's name off the top of my head, but, that's not, does not, yeah.

[00:37:22] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. But, then just abstract works of, being able to collage things and putting paint over it and, and, and stuff like that. I just, I have to be more controlled than that. Yeah. 

Just me. 

[00:37:33] DJ And?: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's personality and that's, and it comes through with shows in your art.

[00:37:36] DJ And?: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I like it though. I like it. I like 

it a lot. 

[00:37:40] Stephanie Gainer: I like it and I like to make people laugh. So I guess that's, that could be part of my therapy now that we're talking about that. Because I will sit in my studio and laugh. It's something I, yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I'm fine. I've had that doing well.

[00:37:51] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So maybe that is my therapy part of it, of. Doing something and, making people laugh. That's a good point 

[00:37:58] DJ And?: to make. Great point to make. [00:38:00] Finally what are some tips for artists that are struggling with the pressure to produce artwork in a timely manner that you could give to our listeners who might themselves be artists or creators?

[00:38:11] Stephanie Gainer: I think that's, That's difficult. It is difficult for me. I don't think I could be like a production powder. Mm-hmm. Because I know I couldn't because having to produce something like that, then it doesn't feel like art. Not, and I shouldn't say it doesn't feel like art. It doesn't feel like fun.

[00:38:27] Stephanie Gainer: Mm. Work. Exactly. I always want, when I'm. Done making things and it feels like work, then I'm done. I have to go into something else if it feels like it's starting to be work. Good point. I've done some commission work and was very glad when I'm done with it. 

Yeah. Finally it's out.

[00:38:44] Stephanie Gainer: It's finally, yeah. It's out there. It's in their hands now and. And y'all gotta talk to them. You gotta see it. And that's the other thing too, people, and, and that's great. People, change their minds or wanna add this or wanna, touch that or whatever. But when you've already made something and then you know, the changes [00:39:00] want to get, they want more changes, it gets to be difficult also because art's very 

personal.

Yeah. You know it 

[00:39:06] Stephanie Gainer: and your baby's not good. Exactly. 

[00:39:08] Ta-Myia: Exactly. So she said, I'm sensitive about my art with it. I'm, 

[00:39:11] DJ And?: I'm sensitive about my. What is this saying? 

Kev, 

[00:39:14] Ta-Myia: you remember? I respect my, but I'm sensitive but I forgot the saying. I think it was 

something vulgar then sensitive, thought my shit. 

[00:39:21] DJ And?: Yeah, like that.

[00:39:21] DJ And?: I think that's what it is cuz you know who we're talking about, Kev? Oh, what's Mr. The ladies day? I can't remember that moment. I can't remember at the moment, but no, she was talking about that and she was like, I would 

love to know that 

[00:39:29] Stephanie Gainer: quote. Yeah, 

yeah, 

[00:39:30] DJ And?: yeah. She is. She, she loves her art. Be nice to, but she's sensitive about her.

[00:39:34] Stephanie Gainer: Her shit. Shit. Yeah. Yeah. It is like somebody saying something about your kids. Yeah. It's like you turn into that mama bear and it's like, yeah, 

[00:39:41] DJ And?: no. Hey, that's Erica Badu. Yeah. Erica Badu. She say, I'm a artist 

[00:39:45] Stephanie Gainer: and I'm 

sensitive about my issue. Yeah. Yeah. Very good. I like that. And it's real. 

[00:39:50] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah, it's real.

[00:39:50] Stephanie Gainer: It's a part of you. Yeah. Every time you put out a piece, it's a part of you that's going out. That's exactly 

[00:39:54] Ta-Myia: why I don't be doing digital design no more. 

Should 

[00:39:56] DJ And?: they have beating somebody up? 

[00:39:57] Ta-Myia: Just, they, they wanna critique every little thing, and [00:40:00] then it's like, why don't you do it yourself then 

[00:40:01] Stephanie Gainer: at this point?

[00:40:01] Stephanie Gainer: Like, mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And then, okay, so there's an, there's input, input from somebody, but then where do you get to be the artist in it? Yeah. I need to be my creative self. Yeah. I, I just did a mural on It's Kalani's Bakery. Mm-hmm. It's over in Pleasant Midwood. And I, I felt like I kept texting the owners saying, okay, is this okay?

[00:40:21] Stephanie Gainer: Is this okay? Is this okay? And they were like, just do whatever you wanna do. You want good with it. Yeah. And that was so freeing and wonderful, but it was, Scary at the same time, because then that was just like at the end I was like, okay, now are they gonna like it? And they love it, yeah.

[00:40:35] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. But that goes back to where I have to believe in myself more. Yeah. And I think as artists, we are insecure whether we show it or not. Mm-hmm. Like I said, goes back to that's a piece of you. Mm-hmm. 

Yeah. That goes out there on full 

[00:40:45] DJ And?: display. Mm-hmm. Being vulnerable. Yep. Another thing that we've been touching on recently, that vulnerability aspect of it.

[00:40:50] DJ And?: Yeah. With creative. 

[00:40:51] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. Oh yeah. Environment. Yeah. Definitely, definitely. Do you have any 

[00:40:54] Ta-Myia: upcoming projects that we can look out for? 

[00:40:56] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah, I do this thing, you [00:41:00] know how people say These are my people. Yeah, yeah. The southeast punk flea market. It's got all kinds of those crazy oddities, things.

[00:41:07] Stephanie Gainer: So my work fits in well there, mm-hmm. It's the type, the people that are coming in that. Are looking for that stuff. Exactly. Exactly. So I have that in ap, the end of April and Spartanburg. And I usually do a few of those a year and nothing else scheduled right now, but towards the end of the year was one I get a little bit busier.

[00:41:26] Stephanie Gainer: Okay. So my studio will be MS for about a month in April. So if you wanna come and 

see, we can 

[00:41:31] DJ And?: see with a mess flood flight. Yeah. We'll definitely come back 

[00:41:34] Stephanie Gainer: up first located, yeah. My studios at the Charlotte Art League. Mm-hmm. And. It's an amazing space. The events that they put on there is just getting better and Yeah.

[00:41:43] Stephanie Gainer: In a couple of years that place 

is 

[00:41:45] DJ And?: hot. Yeah. The, she told us it's only been 

[00:41:47] Stephanie Gainer: open for a year. A Yeah. That, that space they used to be down the road. 

Yeah. That's what you telling us. Yeah. Went to that new space, but that new space. 

[00:41:53] Stephanie Gainer: And the digital area. Phenomenal. Is incredible too. It's just, and it's really building up in that area.

[00:41:58] Stephanie Gainer: They're supposed to be putting a [00:42:00] restaurant over there. 

Mm-hmm. 

[00:42:01] DJ And?: The night we were there when we were leaving, we heard a rave going on next door. 

Yeah, it was popping. 

[00:42:07] Stephanie Gainer: Yeah. The movie theater. Yeah. Yeah. 

It's a great place. 

[00:42:10] Ta-Myia: People find you on social 

[00:42:12] Stephanie Gainer: media. On Instagram, it's at s Gainer, g a ie r.

[00:42:17] Stephanie Gainer: My website link is, And my Instagram profile because it's just like too long and I haven't memorized it all yet because my kid made it for me. Yeah, yeah. You was telling me that I was 

[00:42:26] Ta-Myia: looking at your website. I like it. Thanks. Good job. Thank 

[00:42:29] Stephanie Gainer: you. Thank you. And on Facebook, it's Stephanie Gainor Arts.

[00:42:33] Stephanie Gainer: Okay. Yep. 

[00:42:35] DJ And?: Excellent. Excellent. I wanna thank you for joining us today. Oh, 

[00:42:37] Stephanie Gainer: thank you guys coming. This was a blast. I knew it was gonna be fun because the way we were in the studio the other day, I just had a blast with you guys 

[00:42:45] Ta-Myia: to you to tell you to bring one of your pieces so 

we can have it on the plate.

Yeah, that would've been dope too. I 

[00:42:51] Stephanie Gainer: thought about it for a minute and then I forgot. That happens when you get older too, I'll just have to check it out. Yeah, yeah. Come and see me in person. Yeah, [00:43:00] we're yeah, cuz. If somebody, sends me a message, I can meet 'em up there anytime.

[00:43:04] Stephanie Gainer: Other than that, we're Friday and Saturdays we're open one to seven, and on Sunday we're open 12 to four, 

I 

[00:43:10] DJ And?: believe. And you can purchase anytime. 

[00:43:13] Stephanie Gainer: Anytime. Yeah. That's all I, and I don't even have to be Yeah, I do too. I don't have to be there for you to purchase and yeah, it's great. It was great.

[00:43:20] Stephanie Gainer: Thank you guys so much. No, thank you. This was awesome. 

Excellent. 

[00:43:24] DJ And?: This is DJing what? Tamaya. Skip. Yep. Stephanie? Yes, with the Hilltop Club Podcast. We appreciate you joining us today. Peace.