An Artistic Journey

Steve Emery, a native of Marin, draws profound inspiration from the natural world around him. Whether running the local trails, backpacking through the Sierra, or rafting the rivers of the Southwest, Steve's experiences in nature deeply influence his artistic process.

As Steve immerses himself in the landscape, absorbing its smells, sounds, and seasons, he returns to his studio to reinhabit these passages through his art. His paintings begin without a set destination, emerging from a single calligraphic brush stroke. As lines multiply, inviting spaces are formed, prompting introspective dialogues about their meaning. Often, a central, seductive element surfaces, becoming a focal point that may evolve into an even more cryptic, intriguing theme, rendering its original form almost irrelevant. Through this process, traces of past elements remain, creating a historical trail that underpins each painting without retracing steps. Steve's work defies simple categorization; he is neither an abstract painter nor strictly painterly. Instead, his art embodies a structure or language that conveys, sings, or dances a story, each piece a myth of its own making. Steve refers to this body of work as lyrical, highlighting its movement through time with musical accompaniment. In addition to his lyrical creations, Steve also produces realistic, intimate portraits of landscapes from his local Marin and the Sierra. While his landscape works transition from transparent beginnings to finished compositions, his lyrical pieces are more experimental and exploratory. Steve also expresses his creativity through playing the piano and accordion.