The Sky's the Limit for this artist who creates atmospheres with attitude and altitude

Stephen had an active interest in Art at School, when art was introduced in the daily curriculum. He remembers his Uncle taking him to visit Margaret Olley, who lived down the road from him. As a child, he was captivated by what she created on a canvas. However, his family did not actively encourage his pursuit of art, so Stephen's art had to wait a few decades longer.

He progressed uneventfully through life until the year 2005 when Stephen was involved in a major car accident where he sustained significant fractures to his vertebrae. Part of his rehabilitative therapy involved craft where he was given lots of textured fabrics and paper to collage on a board. This seemingly mundane therapy kickstarted his desire to begin painting in acrylics, a pilotable moment in his journey. Fast forward three years - Stephen had almost completed a BA in Fine Arts when he opened a Gallery for Emerging Artists.

Stephen's artistic motivation comes from his emotional response to what he sees - he thrives on playing with colour and texture. He loves discovering new and interesting techniques. What viewers will witness in the upcoming 'ELEMENTS' exhibition will be very expressive skyscapes, where the sky takes you on a journey, as well as some of his new abstract works that are highly textured. There will also be a selection of hand painted glass vases and bowls “ the inspiration for these came following some recent neurosurgery.

Stephen is holding a workshop on Sunday 16 May at Redcliffe Art Society concurrent with his ELEMENTS exhibition. It is titled Painting Sky with Attitude and is suitable for any level of artistic ability.