An instinctive and emotive painter, Steve Williams is one of York’s most exciting contemporary artists. Full of energy, movement and vibrant colour, Steve’s paintings reflect the dynamic nature of the landscape through the emotional perspective of his own experience. Through each painting, Steve actively invites collectors to connect not only to the timeless beauty of the local landscape, but furthermore to share in the precious, multi-sensory experience it has to offer.
Born into an artistic family, Steve has always harboured an interest in the arts. Yet despite the fact that his father and uncle were professional cartoonists of recognition, Steve initially pursued a more corporate career. Growing restless, Steve turned to painting in his twenties, and before long he had recognised his own need for artistic expression. In 2011, Steve followed his heart and fully committed himself to his craft, cementing his status as a professional artist.
Completely self-taught, Steve has a fluid, yet deliberate approach to painting, allowing his work to develop spontaneously. Using palette knives and brushes, Steve creates his paintings by intricately building and weaving layers over time until he achieves an authentic, comprehensive representation of the local landscape’s natural balance and harmony, whilst also expressing his own emotional experience. Fascinated by the dynamic nature of life and landscape, he infuses texture and movement into his work as he seeks to condense and capture changing light, changing elements and the passing of time within each painting.
As he continues to develop as an artist, Steve also finds himself increasingly drawn to more abstract work. A perfect counter-balance to his more formative landscapes, Steve’s abstract paintings give him the opportunity to engage with paint in a different way, and allow him to explore his thoughts and emotions with complete freedom.
Though still fairly early in his career, Steve has already achieved success and recognition as an artist. In 2015 he was selected to be the artist in residence at the Michelin Star restaurant, The Black Swan at Oldstead, and he has exhibited in galleries across the North and in London. Today, Steve lives in York with his wife and family, where he gleans inspiration from both the city’s artistic character and the nearby North Yorkshire countryside.
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