I was born and raised in Battle Creek, MI. I have loved art for as long as I can remember, painting by 9. While a student at WKK Jr. High I received The Certificate of Honor In Art for my 8th and 9th grade years. I painted throughout High School. Someone told me that Mr. Johnson, my Class Counselor, kept the Bearcat face I painted on a metal trash can lid for the Senior Float hanging in his office until he retired. Way cool. Intimidated by the Conceptual Art I Saw, I plunged into studies and earned a Bachelors Degree in Engineering from Michigan State. I worked for several years, as a Sales Engineer for Environmental Test Chambers, Aluminum Extrusions and Plastic Pneumatic Conveying Systems. I left that fun behind and Opened Pablo's.
For years Paul and I owned (lived) Pablo's, a Restaurant/Bar/Nightclub in Downtown Battle Creek. "Pablo's Days" were all pretty much Great Days, filled with Positive Creative Energy and Positive Creative People. The Icing On The Cake had to be the time I spent Playing Tunes for everyone! In 1996 I started taking Art Classes at Kellogg Community College and Studying Plein Air Painting with Sharon Griffiths-Tarr. Sharon grew to be my Mentor and Spirit Fire, the Intention to Pursue Art was Set! For four years I worked and painted. I sold my First Painting while visiting close friends in Tampa, FL. I unknowingly painted Steve's Bar from an inner coastal dock one afternoon. He owned the cottages we were staying at and stopped by that night. He bought that piece and an early morning beach scene, painted from outside his cottages. He got both paintings for twenty bucks. Paul was holding out for more cash (signature). My First Sale went down Unsigned. I keep the twenty he signed for me next to my easel, "For A Great Paintings Thanks Steve the Beach Bum". In 1998 I received the Outstanding Achievement in Art Award from Kellogg Community College and won Best of Show at the Annual Spring Student Show. Pete Williams, my Teacher, was instrumental in giving me the encouragement to Go For The Dream.
In 2000, on the 4th of July, Paul and I split and I headed to Chicago. Landing in a room at the Three Arts Club, in the heart of the Gold Coast, with boxes mounded to the ceiling, Fire Works Exploding Everywhere, was a little surreal. I quickly started Walking-the-Walk. Full Time Art Student, An Artist. I attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 2000-2002. Hauling my easel and camera, I painted the 11th Street Beach, North Avenue Beach, Belmont Harbor, Planetarium, Chicago River, Grant Park and Lincoln Park. I sold my First Painting in Chicago from a Group Student Show at The Garfield Park Conservatory. I painted it in the Desert Room, and the guy who lived in the Desert Room everyday, bought it. He bought his First Piece of Art and I sold my First Piece of Art in Chicago. I was painting the city, both Plein Air and in the Studio, but couldn't capture the "Feeling". On a whim I signed up for an Abstract Drawing Class with Judith Geichman, thinking it might "free me up", bring on some "creative insight"... Something To Get Excited About! A few weeks into it, Judith informally demonstrated The Process of Acrylic Photo Transfers. I got Chills. It was truly a "Light Bulb Moment". Watching The Process, while looking at a book filled with Robert Rauschenberg's Vegetable Dye Transfers from the 60's, I knew the future. I never worked in oils again.
The Process starts as an Idea, a moment in time that reflects a slice of modern day life. I take lots of photographs and start putting the images, scaled on a color copier, together. I build the piece, working mirror image, and transfer it to canvas with acrylic medium. I paint with acrylics and draw with colored pencils.
My days in Art School were spent living in Greek Town and walking the city, almost daily, photographing. Most of my Early Oils Sold at The Coyote and the Art Institute's Spring Student Show. In 2001 I Exhibited an Oil Painting, "Waiting for the L", in the Chicago Art Open Student Show. The Art Open is an Annual Show put on by the Chicago Artist's Coalition, I have been a member since 2001. A year and-a-half into school I learned "The Process". There was a 24 hour Kinko's in my building. It Was Destiny! I Exhibited Oils at the Hot House in March of 2002, a Group Show titled "Love Chaos". I showed a combination of Oils and Transfers at Steppenwolf Theater, through Anatomically Correct Gallery. I showed my first Transfer Only Series in a Hallway of the Flat Iron Building (Wicker Park), during the 2002 Winter Around The Coyote Festival. I met my Largest Collector there, "Dr Lyle". He bought two, Cubs and City, for $400 each. As he was writing the check he said "I'm buying these both now, I know it won't be long until your prices skyrocket." Dr. Lyle went on to commission a piece and purchase several Giclees. I had the good fortune to decorate his office reception area with Collections of My Work from 2002-2007. "Dr. Lisa", another doctor in the office, is the Largest Collector of my Oils. I received the Coyote's 2002 Curator's Choice Award for "Building Millennium Park" (My Final Transfer for Judith's Class, no photographs of it yet). I was an Artist with Light of the Future Galleries in Darien & Naperville, IL from 2002-2007. We met while I was Exhibiting at Oakbrook Center's Fine Art Exhibition where I won the Shows First Award.
In the early part of 2003 I was granted the Artist's Fellowship Award by the Illinois Arts Council, bought my first color copier, and Kinko's left the building. I spent early fall moving to a great Live/Work Loft, 1 mile North West, in Fulton Market. I started doing Limited Edition Giclees. For several years, everything that wasn't a commission piece, was Photographed and Printed by John Cicso of Chicago Printmakers. I was his first customer, he was my first printer. We were less than a mile apart, we hit it off, his work is impeccable, it had to be Fate. He continues to Photograph my Originals. I received a Purchase Award for "Chicago 2002", and in 2004 The People's Choice Award for "Lifeguard", at the Annual Woman's Work Exhibition given by the Northwest Area Arts Council in Crystal Lake, IL.
Early in 2004 I met a fabulous group of Fellow Artists, "The Breakfast Group". We met together every Wednesday for Breakfast. We exchanged Inspiration and Laughter, we became a Social and Professional Support Group that Enriched every part of My Life in Chicago. Gallery 415, a Juried On-Line Gallery, "Committed to Providing Exposure to Predominately Local Artists Who Produce Outstanding Work", picked me up. I Exhibited "Keeping the Beat" at the Chicago Art Open. In December I had my largest-to-date Public Exhibit with a Booth at the One of
a Kind Show and Sale in Chicago's Merchandise Mart.
I kicked off 2005 with a booth space at The Annual Cubs Convention held at the Hilton, Downtown Chicago. I Exhibited "Lake Bound" in the 2115 Bowery Gallery National Competition , NY and was Published for the first time in American Art Collector, a
Juried Competition of New Work. "The River" was featured, it sold at the 2003 One of a Kind Show. My First large scale Showing of Giclees was at the 2005 One of a Kind Show. I sent my mom (living in Vegas) a print of "Vegas". Taking it in for stretching and framing, she introduced me to Rod Maly, Owner Of Art Encounter. Rod picked up "Vegas", and was the Master Mind behind "If They Could See Us Now". For the Chicago Art Open that year I Exhibited "Memories". I also became a Member of the Illinois Artisans Shops, administered by the Illinois State Museum, selling Giclees through the Artisan Shop in Downtown Chicago. In October, Kicking Off Chicago Artists Month, I walked in Art Walks Chicago, with a fellow Breakfast Grouper. About 30 of us met at Columbia College, at 4, and headed North on Michigan Ave, Wearing Our Art! I had a 24 x 30 Canvas Giclee of "Downtown Stroll" hanging around my neck, wearing it proudly... Bring Art to the Streets of Chicago! We ambled through Millennium Park, gazed into The Bean and continued up Michigan Ave. We hit River North while the Galleries in The District, were preparing for Friday Night Openings. Heading West and Down Halstead, into the West Loop/Fulton Market Galleries in full swing, I begged off. The Chicago October Drizzle did me in. I took a right at Fulton Market, walked through the deserted Meat Packing District, home. Chicago Artists Month is an Annual Celebration of Chicago Artists produced thru Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs. From 2005-2007 I had a dozen pieces hanging in a large group show at Amata, located on the 22nd floor, 150 North Michigan Ave. The last three months of the year I had a One Person Exhibit hanging at Jane's, a cool little Restaurant/Bar in Wicker Park.
2006 was my last year in Chicago and it was a busy one.