ABOUT THE ART
WATERCOLOR
As I start each painting I pick an image that I think is dynamic and will make a good painting. I then proceed to project the image onto the stretched and mounted paper. Once the image is traced and perfected on the paper I begin applying paint in many layers. These are typically called washes and are done to build rich deep colors. After the painting is complete I then coat the painting with a UV spray and a matte finish to protect the painting over a lifetime. Depending on the client I place them in a custom made steel frame that is fabricated in my shop. They are then delivered to either the gallery or directly to the client.
MOUNTING PAPER
Before paint ever goes to paper Stephen rolls the Arches Watercolor paper out and sprays it down with water to let the paper relax. Unlike most watercolor artists Stephen then proceeds to mount his paper Masonite which has a been built so it resembles an oil or acrylic canvas. It is then placed in a vacuum press so that it can be adhered using fabric mount. After it is dried and the edges are folded and wrapped he proceeds to project the image onto the paper. From there it is a lot of hours of painting. After the painting is finished it is then sprayed with and acrylic lacquer and coated with a matte finish. It then gets placed in a custom made steel frame which is fabricated by Stephen in his workshop.
CUSTOM METAL FRAMES
Steel frames are option for each that are fabricated in my metal shop and made custom for each piece. Typically they are an 1 1/2" deep float frame that is made of tube steel. They are a few variations of the frame depending on the piece. There are many different finishes that can be put on the steel. Typically they are either polished or blackened steel, but the patina options are very vast.
