Steve has been a member of the Winkler Gallery since 2009. In 2018, he became a member of the Winkler Board of Directors.
Steve graduated from Edinboro State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Art Education. He taught art and crafts for the Philipsburg-Osceola School District in Pennsylvania. Upon retirement, Steve took up painting, exhibiting, and selling artwork more earnestly. Since 2002, he has been working on a series of paintings taking the Celtic interlace art of his ancestors and adapting it to abstraction and color field painting. Steve’s great passion for art is centered on acrylic painting. He takes pleasure in the color, form, line, movement and design structure.
His artistic achievements span many decades. Steve received awards throughout high school and college. Most recently, his achievements include the following:
1990 – Untitled Watercolor #62 – Selected to hang at the main office of PSERS in Harrisburg, PA
2012 – Celtic Interlace Tableau – shown at 99th Annual Exhibition of the Allied Artists of America in New York City
2017 – Art Exhibit of Work – Red Brick Gallery in Foxburg, PA
I am excited about the power of color. Abstract art has in its nature the ability to connect with the viewer in ways realism cannot. After years of working realistically, I became interested in an exploration of color and the use of paint stains. The abstract expressionist and color field painters of the 1950-1970’s was able to mesmerize viewers, grab their attention and lead others to understand abstraction as something interesting, different and powerful. It is my intention to take the viewer on a journey into my work, assist them to understand and see abstraction as something insightful in its own right. All painting is in its simplest form, just paint on the surface of a support. The artistry comes in how the work draws the viewer into a sense of wonder. My work is an attempt to give form to that innermost creative impulse.
My technique begins by painting layers of transparent an opaque paint stains to create an ambiguous background for the viewer to explore. I overlay a Celtic grid pattern and illuminate with a double knot- work, to create a level of iridescence. The grid layer creates a fluid moving layer above the colored background and adds a shimmering effect. Each artwork I attempt, invites the viewer to experience new relationships of movement, pattern and color. I present a new vision beyond basic Celtic knot-work into a manifestation of feeling, creativity, and technical skill. The artworks I attempt present a new and fresh alterative to the works of other abstract artists.
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