Birmingham-based visual artist Arden Upton has never known life without art. The great-granddaughter of prolific Southern oil painter Irene Stephenson Ward, she grew up surrounded by creativity and longed to follow in her great-grandmother’s footsteps. Today, from her picturesque Alabama estate, Winwood Equestrian, Arden creates vibrant oil paintings and mixed media pieces — landscapes, botanicals, and abstracts designed to evoke joy and peace.
“In some way, it’s genetic for me.”
Arden still vividly remembers staring at paintings by her great-grandmother that were displayed in her grandmother’s home.
“I feel like, in some way, it’s genetic for me,” she says of her artistic passion and talent.
Yet, Arden finds inspiration all around; a good meal with good friends or something someone says can spark an idea. Arden keeps a running list of ideas in the Notes app of her phone and has stacks of pages she’s ripped from magazines that feature images that move her. Sometimes it’s simply a color that begins the creative process.
“We went to the Bahamas recently, and everything in the Bahamas was blue,” Arden says. “And now I’m painting blue. I’m obsessed with blue. Everything in my life is blue right now.”
Arden’s work has been celebrated by private collectors and featured in exhibitions across the country. In Birmingham, one of her most recent shows was an exhibition of her culinary art collection titled “Frank’s Table.” Named for award-winning Birmingham chef Frank Stitt, Frank’s Table celebrates the city’s culinary scene and was on display this summer at City Hall.
“I love to eat, so food seemed like a great thing to paint,” Arden tells us.
Photography to Oil Painting: Why the Shift?
Arden was known for her photography before becoming the popular oil painter she is today. Mainly shooting weddings, this work left little to no time for painting. For years, Arden rarely picked up a paintbrush, and when she did, it was only to paint for herself, not for others.
“I’ve been in art lessons from the time I started school, and I painted off and on throughout my life, but I didn’t paint during the time of my photography career,” she says. “I was like a closet painter.”
But her journey to motherhood changed everything. After enduring eight years of infertility and devastating loss, Arden’s dream of being a mom came true with the help of IVF and the birth of her son, Wills. This experience brought her back to the canvas.
“It’s just been really healing to paint through that,” she says.
Arden was also ready to trade her camera for the paintbrush so she could spend more time with her son and husband.
“Previously in photography, I had done tons of weddings, and weddings are every weekend and a huge time commitment,” Arden explains. “Even after the wedding, you have many hours of post-production. I wanted to have time to spend with my son and family and be creative. So this shift from photography to painting was really natural.”
But that’s not to say it was easy.
“My identity was so encapsulated in ‘Arden, The Photographer,’” she says. “That was a very hard transition for me, almost like a little bit of an identity crisis. But I can still take photos. I will never lose that skill set. I have tens of thousands of photos and hours of doing this, but I don’t want that to be all that I am.”
Bringing the Outside In
Arden paints almost exclusively outside or “en plein air,” which makes sense considering she lives at Winwood Equestrian, a 200-acre estate just outside of Birmingham that offers space for weddings, events, and equestrian services. Though horses are her husband’s passion, they’ve become a source of inspiration for her, too.
“We’ve got about 18 horses here on the property, and I think that is a really special thing,” she says. “I can hardly make myself paint inside. On the porch of our farm is where I paint, and it’s got a really good cover, so even if the weather is bad, I like to be outside.”
When asked what she hopes her paintings evoke in others, Arden says, “I want to bring the outside in.”
She wants you to look at her paintings and feel the beauty and brightness she felt or saw when creating it. “I want that to be brought into their house,” she says. “When people look at the art I create, I want it to make them feel warm and happy inside.”
The Best Advice
For any woman thinking about pursuing a new passion, Arden says simply — go for it. “If something is on your heart, you’re drawn to it, and it’s a good thing for you and your family and your community, it’s been put on your heart for a reason,” she says. “And you should follow that.”
She also emphasizes the importance of simply showing up. “Show up, give yourself grace, and know that consistency wins,” she says. “Instead of going all in for one hard day, if I commit just 15 minutes a day, every day, the milestones I’ll reach by year’s end will be incredible.”
LIGHTNING ROUND!
Favorite Birmingham-area restaurants? Bottega, Chez Fonfon, Automatic Seafood, and Gianmarco’s
What’s on your travel bucket list? I really want to go to the Grand Canyon.
Favorite spots in Birmingham? I’ve been to two concerts at the new Coca-Cola Amphitheater, and that place is amazing. I was blown away by how incredible it is. We’re so lucky to have that in the Birmingham area.
Three things you can’t live without?
Pilates, desert, and desert again.
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Southern women are doing remarkable things. Meet more of them in our FACES archives!
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