Bio
Steven was born in Grande Prairie Alberta where he spent most of his childhood on a farm, helping with chores, drawing and building imaginary civilizations in the woods. While living in Calgary from 2000 – 2008, he played music professionally and won a national songwriting contest in the spring of 2006 at CanadaMusicWeek in Toronto. From 2008 until 2012, he lived in Victoria BC where he painted and performed as a solo musician. A career shift to full-time visual artist was made after the success of his first show in November of 2011. He currently lives in North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada where he delightfully paints every day overlooking a salt water lagoon.
CV - Group and Solo Exhibitions
2023, Year of private sales
2022, November. 'Folly' Group Exhibition - Figure/Ground Gallery, Seattle, Washington, USA.
2021, June. '15 year Anniversary show' group exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
2021, April. 'Lucid' Group Exhibition - Beinart Gallery - Melbourne, Australia
2020, Year of private sales.
2019, August. 'Wild at Heart' group exhibition - Weswal Gallery - Tamworth, Australia
June. 'Small Works' 2019. Group Exhibition - Beinart Gallery - Melbourne, Australia
January. 'Representational Modern' - International Group Exhibition curated by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine
Modern Eden Gallery - San Fransisco, CA, USA.
2018, August. Delusional Art Competition Group Exhibition - Jonathan LeVine Projects - Jersey City, NJ,USA.
2017, June 'Wrong Century' Solo painting exhibition - Hashtag Gallery - Toronto, ON
2016, October. 'Ad Show' Solo drawing exhibition - The Black Cat Gallery - Toronto, ON
2016, April. 'In the Beauty I Hide' Group Exhibition - Hermann & Audrey Gallery - Toronto, ON
2015, June. 'New Contemporary' group exhibition - TAC Gallery - Toronto, ON
April. 'Storybook' group exhibition - Modern Eden Gallery - San Fransisco, CA, USA.
2011, Oct. 'Art of the Delightfully Absurd' Group Exhibition - Massey Gallery - Victoria, BC, Canada.
Other Exhibitions
2019, April. Art Vancouver Contemporary Art Fair. Canada Place, Vancouver, Canada.
Feb. The Artist Project Contemporary Art Fair. Better Living Center, Toronto, Canada.
2018, July. Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
June. Mtl En Arts Art Fair, Montreal, QC, Canada.
2014, Feb. The Artist Project Contemporary Art Fair, Better Living Center, Toronto, Canada.
2012, July. Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit. Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, Canada.
AWARDS
John Dalton - Gently Does It - Art Prize, First Grande Prize, November 2022
Prix De La Meilleure Oeuvre/ Prize for Best Work - Mtl en Arts, Montreal, QC, June 2018
Best in Show - Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit, July 2012.
Finalist in the Jonathan LeVine Projects 2nd annual Delusional Art Competition, August 2018.
Honorable mention in the inaugural Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Art Prize, August 2018.
Chorus Radio National Songwriting Competition - 1st place - at Canada Music Week, Toronto 2006.
Steven was born in Grande Prairie Alberta where he spent most of his childhood on a farm, helping with chores, drawing and building imaginary civilizations in the woods. While living in Calgary from 2000 – 2008, he played music professionally and won a national songwriting contest in the spring of 2006 at CanadaMusicWeek in Toronto. From 2008 until 2012, he lived in Victoria BC where he painted and performed as a solo musician. A career shift to full-time visual artist was made after the success of his first show in November of 2011. He currently lives in North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada where he delightfully paints every day overlooking a salt water lagoon.
CV - Group and Solo Exhibitions
2023, Year of private sales
2022, November. 'Folly' Group Exhibition - Figure/Ground Gallery, Seattle, Washington, USA.
2021, June. '15 year Anniversary show' group exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
2021, April. 'Lucid' Group Exhibition - Beinart Gallery - Melbourne, Australia
2020, Year of private sales.
2019, August. 'Wild at Heart' group exhibition - Weswal Gallery - Tamworth, Australia
June. 'Small Works' 2019. Group Exhibition - Beinart Gallery - Melbourne, Australia
January. 'Representational Modern' - International Group Exhibition curated by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine
Modern Eden Gallery - San Fransisco, CA, USA.
2018, August. Delusional Art Competition Group Exhibition - Jonathan LeVine Projects - Jersey City, NJ,USA.
2017, June 'Wrong Century' Solo painting exhibition - Hashtag Gallery - Toronto, ON
2016, October. 'Ad Show' Solo drawing exhibition - The Black Cat Gallery - Toronto, ON
2016, April. 'In the Beauty I Hide' Group Exhibition - Hermann & Audrey Gallery - Toronto, ON
2015, June. 'New Contemporary' group exhibition - TAC Gallery - Toronto, ON
April. 'Storybook' group exhibition - Modern Eden Gallery - San Fransisco, CA, USA.
2011, Oct. 'Art of the Delightfully Absurd' Group Exhibition - Massey Gallery - Victoria, BC, Canada.
Other Exhibitions
2019, April. Art Vancouver Contemporary Art Fair. Canada Place, Vancouver, Canada.
Feb. The Artist Project Contemporary Art Fair. Better Living Center, Toronto, Canada.
2018, July. Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
June. Mtl En Arts Art Fair, Montreal, QC, Canada.
2014, Feb. The Artist Project Contemporary Art Fair, Better Living Center, Toronto, Canada.
2012, July. Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit. Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, Canada.
AWARDS
John Dalton - Gently Does It - Art Prize, First Grande Prize, November 2022
Prix De La Meilleure Oeuvre/ Prize for Best Work - Mtl en Arts, Montreal, QC, June 2018
Best in Show - Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit, July 2012.
Finalist in the Jonathan LeVine Projects 2nd annual Delusional Art Competition, August 2018.
Honorable mention in the inaugural Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Art Prize, August 2018.
Chorus Radio National Songwriting Competition - 1st place - at Canada Music Week, Toronto 2006.
Statements
"Of course I know that there is nothing new under the sun, but in a time where everything is sourced from something else; music is sampled from a past recording, movie plots are recycled and many painting themes are borrowed from an old trope, however possible, I strive to create new narratives."
"Since I was a child, I had always enjoyed making games much more than playing them."
"Artists should not have to limit their process' to the time constraints and impatience of the market. Rather, they can make art that shows what could be possible if those limitations did not exist."
..."and part of it is to say: don't accuse me of being an unenlightened philistine because I already did modern art. I'm doing my realism as an insider who already "knows the rules" as opposed to saying, oh I came along because I wanted to paint realistic pictures like some country bumpkin." - Jacob Collins
"Of course I know that there is nothing new under the sun, but in a time where everything is sourced from something else; music is sampled from a past recording, movie plots are recycled and many painting themes are borrowed from an old trope, however possible, I strive to create new narratives."
"Since I was a child, I had always enjoyed making games much more than playing them."
"Artists should not have to limit their process' to the time constraints and impatience of the market. Rather, they can make art that shows what could be possible if those limitations did not exist."
..."and part of it is to say: don't accuse me of being an unenlightened philistine because I already did modern art. I'm doing my realism as an insider who already "knows the rules" as opposed to saying, oh I came along because I wanted to paint realistic pictures like some country bumpkin." - Jacob Collins