Stapleton Kearns attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, as well as the University of Minnesota. This training led him to study with the atelier R.H. Ives Gammell and Robert Douglas Hunter in Boston, in 1974 at the historic Fenway Studios; at this time Stapleton was also continuing his study of art history at the Harvard Extension School. His years with Gammell gave him respect for classical draftsmanship, through daily practice, and he now applies and adapts these lessons to his outdoor impressionist landscapes.
Beginning to define his style of painting Stapleton moved to Cape Ann, in Rockport, MA in the mid-eighties. He was drawn to this area for its natural beauty and its history as an art colony. Taking advantage of this history, Stapleton began examining the work of New England landscape painters. Working directly from nature, Stapleton chooses scenes from which he knows he can make a painting with a poetic sense of place, while using his expressive brushstrokes to communicate ideas about beauty. “I try to present not only the appearance of the place but also a lovely arrangement of colors and shapes.” In 1988, Stapleton moved to the mid-coast of Maine where he remained for the next eight years. During this time, he painted the deep woods, the rocky coast, and snow. There is nothing he likes better than painting in the snow.
Through out his career Stapleton has exhibited in many shows including “New England Impressions: Painting From Life,” The Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA; a one man show at the Rockport Art Association, “Impressions of New England,” Miller Gallery, OH; “Great Paintings of New England Tradition,” Hammond Gallery, OH; The National Academy of Design, New York City; “Art in the Embassies,” Moscow, Russia; along with many others. As well as being a member of the Guild of Boston Artists, Stapleton also belongs to the Rockport Art Association where he is a former president, and a member of the North Shore Art Association. He is the recipient of many awards from the Rockport Art Association as well as the Guild of Boston Artists, American Artists Association. Stapleton is currently living in New Hampshire.