Description: In his biography, Stephen talks about his passion for art and nature; what art and painting means to him and the inspiration of the Cornish landscape.
I spent the first 18 years of my life on the coast of West Sussex and Hampshire, and very early on I developed an abiding passion for Art and Nature.
Winter evenings were spent in my grandparent's room, copying my Uncle's drawings or sketching any item of interest. In the summertime I spent my days around the marshes or Chichester harbour or in the woodland on the South Downs studying, drawing and painting the landscape and its wildlife.
Upon leaving school I secured a place at the West Sussex College of Art in Worthing, studying commercial art and technical illustration. Whilst travelling to college each day by train I was fascinated by the prints of landscape paintings mounted below the luggage racks. From the comfort of the train seats I found myself drifting to places unknown to me—the hills of Cumbria, the lakes, coastal resorts and cathedrals all beautifully painted by prominent figurative artists.