BIOGRAPHY PAGE

ARTIST PROFILE – MARTIN STEPHENSON (STEVO)

Born July 1954 – York, England

Although I have had no formal training as an Artist. I came from Rural Yorkshire and was born with an affinity, and love for the countryside, despite spending my formative years in post war Leeds.

My influences constantly change, and I can now add a Spanish Artist Tomas Castano and Bulgarian artist Ivan Russev to the list and you can see why on my links page. Though historically my influences were very varied but included Masters like Turner, Shiele, Rodin, and modern protagonists such as Andy Warhol, Ashley Jackson, Rowland Hilder, Ron Ranson and John Blockley. Even local artists, to my former adopted home, in Nidderdale, such as John Sibson.

My work is in private collections in the UK, USA, Australia, Russia. And throughout Europe, including France, Spain and Bulgaria.

My Art Development, started with an interest in becoming a Draughtsman/ Graphic Designer, eventually settling for a career in Display and Visual Arts, which also included a love of Calligraphy. These early interests can now be seen in many of my current works. With an initial interest in fine pen and ink work, I worked as a Part-Time freelance artist for a magazine in Harrogate, Yorkshire.

I also experimented with pastels and charcoal, eventually leading to my currently preferred medium, which is my unadulterated joy and passion for traditional Watercolour Painting. My preferred subjects are Land, Town and Seascapes and The Human Form.

Martin Stephenson

Quotes from the Artist

‘My life-drug and adrenalin fix, is my watercolour painting and watching paint reacting on rough watercolour paper. When this unpredictable magic fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, I know I will have indeed, met my maker ’.

‘A dawn chorus of birdsong and a feeling of being at one with nature, can life really get any better than this’?

‘I try to keep my paintings clean and fresh with luminescent washes and delicate subtle colours, contrasted with the textures and counterchange we all see in Nature every day. I also like to capture decay seen in many other man- made objects, which I also like to portray. Sometimes combining the two’

‘As a plain speaking, native of my beloved Yorkshire (God’s County), We are no lovers of Rules and Dogma that can inhibit one’s development and freedom as an individual and as an artist. What I lack in academic achievement, I more than make up for in pure enthusiasm for my subject. Not knowing the ‘rules’ gives me total freedom from constraints, together with an openness to soak up new ideas like a sponge. I therefore have no hesitation to use whatever comes to hand to capture that beautiful, fleeting moment and atmosphere. Watercolour painting is all about abandon and working fast and loose. I use rocks to paint rocks and I draw trees with twigs and quills’.

‘Paint for your own pleasure. If someone else likes it too, consider that a great compliment. If they are prepared to part with there hard earned money, then that is indeed the ultimate accolade’.

‘Paint for you, and not for critics’.

‘It’s a life long journey, so relax and enjoy the ride’ !

Martin now lives, works and teaches in Bulgaria. He is Single and has four children, Ashley, Russell, Katie and Connor and is soon to become a Grandfather. They all still live in England.