Steve Griffith was born in the mountains of western Arkansas in 1959. From infancy, his family traveled to the Rocky Mountain States to work in the timber business and the Pacific Northwest to work in the fruit orchards. The changing landscapes on these long trips provided a natural backdrop to develop a passion for both art and travel.
Griffith states, “I cannot remember a time that I did not create art of one type or another.” Perhaps his third grade report card summarizes him best stating, “Steve is a good student but spends too much time drawing and coloring.” Unfortunately, art was not viewed as a valuable commodity in the culture in which he grew up. In fact, artistic talents were often discouraged in favor of manual labor. As a result, he worked at a variety of jobs developing many skills that were later applied to different art techniques. He also gained a deep understanding of people and objects, and their interaction in the environment.
Griffith studied art in college before developing an interest in psychology, eventually completing a Master of Science degree. He practiced full time for 14 years combing psychotherapy and art therapy with patients ranging from small children to geriatrics. However, he produced very little art for the public until 1996, when encouraged by friends and colleagues, he began painting professionally. By 2001 demand for his art allowed him to begin painting full time.
His unique background has allowed him to develop a strong, loose style that embraces his love of light, energy, and motion. Griffith states, “I choose not to reproduce reality, instead striving for an impression of the subject using bold strokes of color and texture. I want to capture the emotion of the moment.” His style is brave and sometimes surprising, but tends to find a deeper place in his heart and imagination over time.
He has won awards in various mediums including oil, watercolor, and acrylic paintings as well as mixed media, 3-D, and experimental categories. He routinely creates works in styles ranging from impressionism to abstraction and 3-D metal works.
