Michael Steddum

My oil paintings are of transparent vessels that represent people or situations that we find ourselves in. The narrative for each painting is positive and often humorous, providing an additional layer of discovery for the viewer after their initial reaction of, these are paintings? I focus on the abstract shapes, values, and hues, to create a realistic image that people often mistake for photographs. Each painting has multiple thinly applied glazed layers, which increases the amount of labor in work, but allows me to achieve clarity with luminous color in the finished painting. I use a strong light source in each work because I feel this makes the still life radiant with energy. It is my goal to have objects reflect and absorb the colors and light around them giving them a vibrancy that draws the viewer in. While painting, I exercise a technical skillset that I have acquired over the last thirty years, but once the work is finished, I look forward to sharing the art and story of each work with the multitude of people I am fortunate enough to come into contact with at shows around the nation. Traveling to art shows and meeting people from different walks of life is an amazing benefit of being an artist, and is an important part of creating my art.