"When I paint, I feel closer with God than at any other time I know. What more could anyone ask for?
---Steve Atkinson
Collectors Say:
"Steve is one of the most promising new artists I've seen in a very long
time".
----Joyce Jones, Collector and Bosque Conservatory Board of Directors
Dealers Say:
"Steve's landscapes are like an exuberant walk through nature. The brushwork is lively as it plays across the picture plane, creating energy and revealing wonderful atmospheric light. His impressionist style lends itself well to his subject matter as he draws you into his intimate space."
-- An Thompson, LA Thompson Gallery. Clifton, Texas
Other Artists Say:
"I am really impressed with Steve's work. The guy can paint anything."
-George Hallmark, Artist
"Steve Atkinson is one of a small handful of artists working today that truly translates and communicates the outdoor painting experience for his viewers. His natural drawing ability coupled with lots of hard work, result in paintings that capture natural light with rich and exciting surfaces. Steve's journey in art is a pathway we will all enjoy following for many years to come."
---Scott Myers, Artist
Steve's painting, "Hell For Leather", is one of the twelve finalists in
Raymar's Art Competition July 2010 .
This month's judge was Randall Sexton!
All finalists from the entire year are now in the running
to be selected as the best of this year's entries and are eligible for the
Top Awards which will be announced shortly.
___________________________________________________________
"Dawn at Tsegi Overlook" was selected as the western region's
award winner in PaintAmerica's
2010 Paint the Parks National Competition and Show.
___________________________________________________________
For more insight on Steve's work, visit his blog at www.SteveAtkinsonStudio.blogspot.com
Thought of the Week: "Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places."
Biography
"I want to approach each painting in a fresh way. Some paintings ask to be painted in a loose manner with lots of expression and freedom, while others need to be controlled to allow the subtleties of color temps or facial expression to show through. When an artist becomes a slave to their technique, and limits what they can paint, is when their evolution as an artist ends." ---Steve Atkinson
I started my artistic life as an eager and hungry illustrator over 25 years ago. I loved illustrating, and it paid the bills, but something was always missing, some kind of personal fulfillment. That's when I started painting the things that mattered to me. Painting feeds my soul. We should all be blessed enough to have a job like that. My training as an illustrator has given me a solid foundation for my fine art. The ingredients that make a successful painting are the very same ones that go into making a good illustration. My brushes have opened up a whole new world to me. Now I'm able to make pictures of the things that matter to me. I'm not interested in painting the trendy or the shocking, it's purely about what moves me as an artist and a human being. Hopefully, it's the same thing that moves all of us. I'm as comfortable painting the figure as the landscape. Really, it's all about the story and emotion behind the painting. The way I handle the paint, my technique, is as important to me as what I paint. To me, good painting has always been as much about how the artist handles the paint, as it is about the painting's message. Hopefully, when you look at one of my paintings you can tell I was smiling the whole time I was painting it.
I make Prescott, Arizona my home, but grew up in a small steel town in Ohio, and lived in Minnesota for twenty or so years. My wife Ann, continues to be my biggest supporter, best critic, and constant source of inspiration. I find endless variety in the landscape, and feel most alive when painting on location (en plein air) in the midst of getting down a fleeting light effect before it changes. When painting, there is no other concern that seeps into my consciousness. It requires complete focus. Painting is very hard, but there's nothing else in the world I would rather do. Nothing.
My awards include the Jones Purchase Award at the Bosque Conservatory in Clifton, Texas, for my painting, "The Promise of Another Summer" . I'm the recipient of an Award of Excellence from the Oil Painters of America for my painting titled "The Gunsmith", as well as many other awards from the shows in which I've participated over these many years. I've been blessed in that my work has been collected and exhibited throughout the United States and in Europe.
I'm a Signature member of the Oil Painters of America (OPA), as well as a proud member of the "Plein Air Painters of the West" (PAPW) .
Feel free to email me with comments or questions. Your feedback is always welcomed and much appreciated.
Thanks for looking, Steve
Upcoming Events and Exhibits
Upcoming Workshops
Other Web Pages that Steve Atkinson Recommends you visit
(These pages are not necessarily about Steve Atkinson)
Artist Websites |
Featured Artists |
®
