Exhibition Details
When: November 12, 2009 to November 21, 2009; Time: 10am - 6:30pm; Admission: FREE
Where: Village Market, New Exhibition Hall, Nairobi, Kenya

More info: Unveiling A Gallery of East African Birds, a new large-format book by John Dawson (foreword by Jonathan Scott) with original paintings for sale by prominent artists.
See for yourself - an extraordinary book accompanied by extraordinary artwork: Daphne Butler, Karen Laurence-Rowe, Nicky Beaumont, Peter Blackwell, Theo Stone. Additional artwork for the book: Dino Martin and Peter Bruce.

Pics: You can see all of my original bird paintings that will be on display. They’re in the Bird section of my Gallery.

Summary:
Venue: Village Market (see pics)
Date/Time: October 1 - 10, 2009
Opening night: 6pm on Oct. 1st
Daily: 10am - 6pm
Note: Contact me for more info

Don’t forget to forward the web link to this page to all interested parties.
See you at the show!

- Theo

My short stint in Art college made me realise that this mode of “formal” education was not meeting my needs as an artist. Hence I’ve decided to take a leap of faith and create my own style, which I feel is vibrant and alive yet highlights my passion for all things relating to conservation and nature.

I’m equally at home painting on cloth, ceramics, water colours, canvas, murals on tiles, and recently ostrich eggs. I like to be versatile in both my media and subject matters. As such, I’ve created many commissioned works for large corporations and hotels.

If you’d like me to create an original work of art for you, please don’t hesitate to contact me using the link above.

Finally, many thanks go out to Pat Maxwell (aka Max The IT pro) for overhauling my website — using the latest web technologies (WordPress, ZenPhoto, MySQL, HostGator, social networking, etc.) — so that I can showcase my artwork to the global village. Please visit my online gallery when you get a chance!

About | Shop | Contact me | Comments? | Online Gallery | Mobile Site | Twitter me

2009

• October 2009 Exhibition at Village Market | Oct. 1-10 | daily: 10 am - 6 pm | opening night: Oct. 1st @ 6pm
• Kenton College (International Food Fayre) | 9-May-2009 | 9 am - 4 pm
  - Exhibiting my artwork at this exciting event which I regularly take part in as the proceeds go to a worthy cause

2008

** I will add info on previous exhibits once if I have the material to upload **

Most importantly, this craft allowed her to earn additional income to support her kids. Over the years, I have trained approximately 10 single mothers and their children to produce beadwork for my greeting cards, tin cans, bottles, and wall hanging designs. As such, I’m more than happy to continue this initiative since it creates a possitive outcome on so many levels.

More pics will be added later to the gallery that will highlight the beadwork created by these talented individuals.

Having previously painted in the tranquility of singing birds and stray lions, fine artist Theodora Stone laments that, with the increasing human encroachment of the Nairobi National Park, this serenity is quickly fading. By BENSON KIMATHI

When Theodora Stone first moved into her house in Ongata Rongai, just next to the Nairobi National Park, her home was a jungle habitat. At the time, 10 years ago, this place was the perfect residence for a fine artist, who liked and still loves to live and work away from the distractions of modern civilization.

When I first paid her a visit in 2001, and again in 2005, this bushy neighbourhood, located about 20kn from Nairobi, was a haven of peace. Only one or tow lone houses could be seen in the vicinity. Antelopes grazed in the foreground. An occasional giraffe galloped right before our eyes. Venturing into the tall grass, I recall feeling that a large cat might leap at us from the bushes.

Today, as I disembark from a vehicle on Magadi Road, the first observation I make is that a collection of commercial motorcycles camps on the dirt road that leads to Theo’s place. This is a new development. During my last visit three years before, there was no form of public transport here.

It is a bumpy, windy and dusty ride to Theo’s house. As Newton navigates the bike past the treacherous configuration of stones and potholes that pad the road, I ask: “When did you motorcycle people come to this place?”

“About a year ago,” he answers and explains that there has been much development here. Look at all these buildings that are coming up,” he adds. “Many people are moving away from the city to this place.”

After getting off and paying up, I watch as Newton rides off, having giving me his cell phone number so I can call him to pick me after my interview with Theo. Although there are signs that more people now live in the neighbourhood, the place is still quiet and serene. The few sounds that one picks in this deserted grassland include the twitter of birds high up the trees and the chirping of crickets. There is also the occasional drone of planes that are taking off or landing at the nearby Wilson Airport.

As before, the vast carpet of wild pasture, acacia and shrubs spreads before my eyes. Sadly, this time there is no antelope or giraffe anywhere in sight - and there won’t be any for the rest of my four-hour stay at Theo’s place.

Suddenly, Theo materialises. She is still the small-bodied, gracious woman I remember. She’s dressed in a white blouse and a brown skirt. Her hair falls with simple elegance to her shoulders. After exchanging pleasantries, she motions me to a plastic chair, one of several that are set around a simple folding table, just outside her house.

Wedged between the branches of the tree under which we sit is the skull of a zebra, one of several that Theo picks in the neighbourhood and uses as adornments around the house. Visible through the house’s casement window are metal models of birds Theo has painstakingly painted to a realistic finish.

As we catch up on the years gone by, Theo briefly talks about the human encroachment on Nairobi National Park. “You know what is sad?” she asks: “It is the development that is slowly pushing the wildlife away.” The animals of the park, which were once regular visitors in this home don’t come any more.” The only thing we get are antelopes and impalas. And if they come, it is only at night.” Of the hyenas, she says, “We only hear them.”

She turns and points to a pit within her compound and talks fondly about three spitting cobras that were once regular visitors to her home. “I have not seen them in a while,” she says, discernibly saddened. Theo also reminisces about a donkey that was once grazing just outside her fence. A lion, she recalls, came and grabbed the donkey. Luckily, one of the Maasais in the neighbourhood shouted until the lion released the donkey and ran off. The donkey was left with neck injuries, “but survived.”

She almost jumps to her feet when, as we talk, there is a rustle of leaves a few metres away and an animal slowly takes shape. “Look, it’s the mongoose! He is back!” Once the animal emerges fully, however, Theo’s jaw drops. “It was only a squirrel,” she says cheerlessly.

A reserved artist
Theo is a reserved, exceptional artist who hardly ever discloses her thoughts and feelings. Even in the briefest of interactions, one quickly discerns her reserved nature. When she speaks, she chooses her words carefully, and then is not easily drawn into mundane subjects. Theodora is almost bored by enthusiastic talk about everyday conveniences like cell phones, the Internet and motor vehicle technology. She uses technology, yes, but only as a means to an end, not as a tool of luxury.

Belying the demeanour of reticence, however, is a gifted artist and spiritually inclined woman from whom the younger generation can learn a lot about life and living.

She says what takes the fun out of living is the trait of neediness that has become endemic in our modern way of life. “We have too many conditions, expectations and needs.” Life, she says, is a spiritual journey. “People have become removed from themselves and are more needy because they have lost touch with nature. I am very concerned about what we have done to our planet and what we are leaving behind for our children.”

“Look at us cutting forests and shoving fossil fuels in the air!”

Set under the tree outside her house are two ceramic bowls that Theo placed there for the many birds that are her welcome neighbours. One bowl is filled with water. On the other are crumbs and food placed there for the birds. These birds form a major theme of Theo’s artwork.

The interior of her house is bedecked with all manner of artwork. In one corner are many cartons filled with tiles, which, once painted, will go into the swimming pool of a hotel in Mombasa. There is also a mural of a Maasai family. This is ready and awaiting collection. She motions me to a different section of the wall and explains that the painting there is a “mixed media”, made up of a patchwork of realistic and abstract art.

A prolific artist, Theo privately works for discerning Nairobian among them prominent businessmen. She has also done a large mural for Nairobi’s Fairview Hotel, and countless other commissioned artworks, large and small. She has also painted on utensils, on greetings cards and on lampshades.

Unlike the last time I was here, however, she now has no painted ostrich eggs, which for many are the catchiest piece of art. One of her eggs, for instance, bore the realistic-looking painting of an Egyptian vulture whose claws were crafted to deceive the eye, so that the claws appeared to have grabbed the egg on which they were painted. On another egg she had painted a dung beetle that was in the process of edging its way through animal dung.

Theo, a Greek and her husband moved to Kenya in 1972, having relocated from Uganda, where her Greek father, Theodore Spyropoulos, had first moved to prospect for gold. It was in 1998 that she moved to Ongata Rongai, where she continues to live today. Besides having very strong feelings about art, the environment, conservation and life choices in general, she has lately broken from her solitary of art and has reached out to HIV-positive women to share her skills and knowledge, and to inculcate in them the spirit of self-reliance.

At about 3pm, Newton’s bike roars to a stop outside Theo’s house. As I leave, I am quietly aware that when I come next, if at all, the vegetation may be no more, and Theo may have moved away in search of the next tranquil neighbourhood to carry on with her life of art and painting.

mail@BensonKimathi.com

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Credits:
Title: The Vanishing Jungle | Section: She’s Got It
Publication: SATURDAY (Saturday Nation) - page 10
Date: Saturday March 7, 2009
Writer: Benson Kimathi | Location: Nairobi, Kenya
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JENIPHER WACHIE visited Theodora Stone, a reclusive artist who lives near Ongata Rongai. She found a stunning display of creative artwork perfect for the home and office

SPICE UP YOUR HOME WITH ART
Artistic accessories are often thought to be expensive and elitist, but this is not always the case. Art forms are produced in various shapes and as a result, are priced differently. So whatever opportunity comes your way, do not shy from adding a variety of art to your home collection.

Painted clay flowerpots are ideal for indoor as well as outdoor plants. Since the clay material is not in short supply, the pots are some of the most affordable art pieces for the house, and they are great because they have a dual purpose - to add beauty to the house while carrying the plants.

Equally, their natural aspect allows soil to breath unlike cement and plastic pots. Give your clay pots a face-lift by painting or decorating them.

Wall hangings and other handicrafts give your wall a truly stunning look. In addition, stained glass decorative lamps are exotic and versatile. These can replace candles during dinnertime and be used to lift the ambience of any room, especially at night.

If you wish to update your crockery, don’t trash them. Send a few to a decorator or artist and let him or her create a fancy impression on them. Show off the finished and place it on a display unit, on top of your music systems or at a corner stand.

By Pocyline Karani

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Credits:
Title: Best Buys
Publication: HOME & AWAY Magazine (The Standard) | Pullout Section B - page 12
Date: Thursday September 25, 2008 | Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Writer: Pocyline Karani | Photos: Jenipher Wachie / Standard (courtesy Reclusive Art, Maasai Lodge Road)
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Most people are traumatized if they are forced to leave their homes once in a lifetime; in Theo Stone’s case, there have been several forced departures.

Although her ancestors were Greek, she has never been to Greece. Born in Uganda, she had to leave after Idi Amin came to power. Her father Theodore Spyropoulos had gone to Uganda at the age of 23 to prospect for minerals in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; he was successful. In 1971 Idi Amin expelled most of the unwanted foreigners from Uganda, but Spyropoulos remained to continue mining until ill health forced him to relocate to Nairobi in 1979. Theo and her husband had already moved to Kenya in 1972; in 1998, she moved to Kitengela where she continues to live.

Theo had lived in Kenya when she was at boarding school in Eldoret, after which she went to the Wimbledon School of Art in London where she earned the necessary credentials. But Africa was to remain her home and her inspiration.

During her time in Kenya, Theo has exhibited her work eight times, but she remains reticent. Like many artists, she complains that the business of setting up exhibitions (especially solo shows) is not only costly but time-consuming as well; her purpose in life is just to get on with her art.

People like Theo Stone are caught in a contradiction: they can’t earn enough to survive without exhibiting, but they can’t afford a secretary and a publicist to do what is necessary to put on a show. But this time around, Theo was lucky: after a decade of silence, her work, and Nairobi’s Fairview Hotel, an excellent venue for an exhibition, happily gave her a space.

Although Theo usually works very much in isolation - it’s what suits her best - she is enthusiastic about the change in the Nairobi art scene over the past decade. “There has been a lot of encouragement as a result of which there are now different ideas, different concepts,” she said.

She has been part of that change, working with single mothers who are HIV-positive, sharing her skills and knowledge and introducing them to new ways of making a living. Some of the resulting handiwork, like the Maasai beading on several of the pieces in her show, was done by these women. And their children have been occupied during the holidays making butterfly cards that Theo promotes and sells.

Her enthusiasm is infectious and is evident in the wide variety of techniques and styles she uses, in her keen eye and her sense of humour. Her subjects are mostly related to nature in one form or another. Her passion since childhood has been plants, birds, underwater creatures and insects. “My theme is conservation, and I live the way I believe.”

She has only recently succumbed to the luxury of electricity. Many of the objects in the show were “found”: recycled wine bottles and baby food tins covered with the finest beading that turns them instantly into objects d’art.

But there was work on a grand scale, too; for me, the most imposing was the painting of Maasai women - towering figures with oval-shaped heads painted from behind with the pleasing contours of curved cow horns providing a contrast to the tall vertical forms in the foreground. Theo gives the whole thing an elemental quality by covering it in a thin layer of white like a patina of dust that makes it seem timeless (it is actually with paint flicked onto the canvas with a toothbrush, but never mind! Artists are entitled to their secrets.)

The image is familiar but yet unlike any painting of Maasai you have ever seen and as far as you can imagine from the stereotypical stick-like figures you see everywhere. That is one of the advantages of working in isolation.

Theo’s work has taken her to many places - airports, bathrooms, swimming pools, private dining rooms - where her murals are very much in demand. An accomplished ceramicist, she has decorated lamps with necklaces, shells and beads as though they were human figures. “I like playing with textures,” she said, standing beside the solemn Gabbra Woman, a mixed-media piece on handmade paper. Swathed in lush materials that bring out the classic beauty of the features, the face looks down in modesty.

There is no attempt at realism; in fact none of Theo’s work could be called realistic.  In the woman’s very submissiveness there is a kind of erotic splendor. It is there as well in the colour of the flowers, their rich reds and yellows that draw the viewer to them. Who among us wants to inhabit a world of grey concrete and straight lines, you can’t help asking yourself? In Nairobi, we are witnessing the systematic destruction of nature, and interesting old building are being replaced by solid square blocks that offend the eye. Theo’s work is a welcome respite from that.

Yet the style of Gabbra Woman is very different from what Theo calls her period of “bacteria” painting in which she tended to concentrate on highly intricate representations of reptiles, beetles and moths discovered in Kitengela. “I don’t kill them,” she hastened to add. “It’s just what I find.”

She makes them appear exquisite; the gold-beaded scorpion or the multitude of chameleons and lizards that crawl all over lampshades, gourds, and large painted eggs in driftwood holders.

Entirely self-taught, Theo insists that artists have to change and develop as their sense of themselves grows. “The language of the soul is the arts,” she declared. “Without us there is not soul. We bring people together.”

Behind her is a collage of Maasai necklaces forming concentric blue circles on a dark pink cloth background. All around is a riot of colour, design, texture and form. A small woman of great vitality, Theo she seems almost dwarfed by her own energy and creativity.

And as a Greek, she is drawn to the sea, which was represented in this show by three small watercolours whose luminous quality evokes the rich underwater world of the Indian Ocean with its turtles, brightly hued fish and sparkling clarity.

Birds are a constant presence: the delicate long golden legs of white stroke, the peering eyes of an owl and the extravagant pink feathers of a flamingo preening itself and luxuriating in its own splendor. Elsewhere, the birds are so delicate; they are reminiscent of Chinese painting on silk. Certainly you can see a large number of influences at work. I look forward to next year’s show, and perhaps more in between.

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Credits:
Title: Theo Stone: Home at last
Publication: MSANII (The magazine for the arts from Rahimtulla Museum of Modern Art - RaMoMA) - Issue 22  - page 8-9
Date: January - March 2008
Writer: Betty Caplan | Location: Nairobi, Kenya
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