Page 36 - CulturalAdventures3 final

Rockefeller’s Legacy, oil on linen, 12” x 24”. Photo by Ken Woisard
“Oils are very forgiving,” he said of his chosen medium. One can manipulate the paint and he loves its texture. Texture in rugged
landscape and trees fuels his interest in them, and “landscapes are accessible” – most settings are within an hour of his home. They
offer room for interpretation and he can rearrange elements. Observing nature directly is crucial to produce better studio work,
Steven explained. It helps an artist understand the relationships between color, shapes and light. He enjoys painting outdoors but
nowadays they are mostly small studies to capture these relationships, for a springboard for larger studio work or future reference.
As the seasons change, he likes painting snow and fall colors, or sometimes smaller parts of a scene like a log or stand of trees.

October Shoreline, oil on linen, 16” x 20”.
Photo by Steven Hileman
Recently, he said he is more intentionally exploring design, composition and Steven painting in Rocky Mountain National
paint application, “trying to grow in my understanding of them so as to create Park, Colorado. Photo by Dave Russell
more compelling paintings.” He may use pencil sketches or digital photos to
plan the composition and the arrangement of elements. Street scenes – mostly Bar Harbor, some of Boston – with their buildings, win-
dows, perspective and overlapping elements, provide this opportunity. Steven adds that viewers respond differently to street scenes with
people in them. “There’s more of a story.”

For fun, he paints flowers in little studies of paint application and brushwork. He
recently auctioned one as a fundraiser for Show Hope, an adoption support organi-
zation, and may do this again.

People remark on the realism of Steven’s work. “My continuing goal is to create
the illusion of detail,” he said, using spots of color and brushwork to resolve those
details and they become more engaged in the viewing process.
Right: Wax Begonias, oil on panel, 5” x 7”.
Photo by Steven Hileman
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