When did you become involved in the arts?
When I was 8 years old, I had begun to exhibit certain artistic traits. My mother was not really sure what to do with me and put me in The Flemish Art School where I was the youngest student there by ten years! It was in this school that I first learned to work with oil glazes that I still use in my work today.
My parents had always exposed me to art. After returning from a year spent driving all over Europe with my mother and getting a different sort of education, she soon realized I just did not fit in the conventional school system and was smart enough to put me in the Hollywood Professional School (HPS).
You found yourself in Peru on the set of Dennis Hopper’s infamous movie “The Lost Movie”. How did that come about?
While I was attending HPS and taking classes at UCLA, I was making a living as an actress; working on commercials and dancing on shows like “Hullabaloo“. I met Kris Kristofferson and soon began dating. Kris was close friends with Dennis Hopper who invited us to work on his movie in Peru. While there, Kris even wrote two songs about me and our time in Peru. It was an amazing time to say the least!
Life there was wild. If you think about who was involved in that movie: Dennis Hopper, Bob Rothwell, Owen Orr, Jim Mitchum, and John Phillip Law. It really was a scene…out there in the middle of the Andes! I was so naïve, now that I look back on it. Yet, I had made long lasting friendships with many of them. I was close with Dennis and he exposed to all the amazing artwork he collected. His garage was like a museum – filled with works by Warhol, Basquiet, Richard Prince and so many others.
What are some of the other jobs you had in Hollywood?
After working on Dennis’ movie in Peru, I stumbled into becoming a sort of stunt-woman. I started as a stunt rider in a couple movies – back then there were really no women doing stunts. Then I eventually began stunt driving, doing stunts in “Diamonds are Forever” and “Fuzz”, where I was a stunt-double for Raquel Welch - even though I looked nothing like her. Like I said, no other woman was doing this kind of work, so it was really wild that I was getting these parts and that I was doing the actual stunts without necessarily having the training.
During this time though, I never stopped enjoying art. Eventually, I left the acting world took classes in California in textile design. With a friend I opened of a high-end women’s clothing boutique in Malibu called “Amazon”. I was drawn to the business because I was able to travel to Europe a couple times a year and attend the fashion shows, which were very theatrical back then. I ended up designing the dress for Margot Kidder that she wore to the Oscars.
What brought you back painting?
Though I was making money in Hollywood as an actress and then designer, I gave up my painting. I soon met my then husband, another actor, and we had children. With kids, my life changed and I no longer wanted to travel so much to keep up with the Hollywood lifestyle. I wanted to spend more time with my children and decided to focus on painting –– I believe it is what has always kept me grounded.
What inspired your aesthetic?
It was my early exposure to old world painters that inspired me. I don’t know if it was because of the Flemish Art School or all my trips to Europe as a child. Visiting Pompeii at a young age also left an indelible mark. But later in life I became more fascinated with color, its complexity.
I took a fresco class at UCLA so I had knowledge of how to use marble dust and plaster. I was creating large murals in homes when my son Devin told me I should start creating canvas works. He is the one who pushed my art and led me to creating “old world” works that have a more contemporary feel. From then on it was really a process of trial and error, with heavy emphasis on the error part.
Stuart's work will be on exhibited at Gilman Contemporary in Ketchum from September 1-October 9th.
An opening reception will be held with Valerie Friday, September 3rd from 5-8pm.
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