“All art is an escape to somewhere you
want to be or a feeling you want to have. People see different things in my
paintings because we all have different backgrounds and feelings.”
- Steve Hanks
Steve
Hanks, whose paintings sensitively portray women and children, spent his
childhood on the coast of California. His inspiration to paint developed in
his late teens, after his family moved from Ventura County to New Mexico.
more
click on the image
to enlarge
Where The Healing Begins
Limited Edition Anniversary Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
“On the
surface, the story behind this painting is straight forward,”
begins Steve Hanks. “This young woman has decided that it is
time for her to leave home and make her own way in the world.
The choice is hers and she is confident and self assured in her
decision. But as it is with most of my paintings, there is a
deeper, personal story to it.
“Years ago I
painted a piece called Traveling with Dad. It showed me holding
my daughter on an empty platform at a deserted railway stop. I
painted that image at what was, without a doubt, the lowest
point of my life. I was on my own raising two kids and the
painting truly captured that feeling of the unknown future that
we were heading toward. You’ll notice that this young woman
carries the same suitcase I had on the platform.”
“Today, I am
a long way down that track and it turns out our stop was in New
Mexico. I have always painted the mountains, the sea and rivers
and lakes so it seemed to me for the longest time that
Albuquerque was a place that I was going to either pass through
or leave from. Well, the years passed and time has revealed that
this was our destination. Albuquerque is our home. That little
girl I once could easily hold in my arms is now grown up. The
future is hers. She is going to be making her own decisions,
which will determine the places she is headed toward.”
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Nestled in the
splendor of Banff National Park lies a Canadian national
treasure¯the emerald colored waters of Lake Louise. “Until you have
the chance to go there, you can’t understand just how beautiful
Canadian Rockies are. To me,” emphasizes Steve Hanks, “this place is
Canada.”
Hanks is
renowned as one of the finest figurative artists painting today.
That description understates his skills as a landscape artist and
the importance he puts on the specific environments he creates for
the figures he paints. “The title of this painting really says it
all, Canadian Beauty. A striking woman with auburn hair relaxes at
the water’s edge in mid-summer, with Chateau Lake Louise and the
jagged snow-capped mountains in the background. The blend of
serenity and majesty that this place radiates is awe-inspiring.”
The character of
Banff and of the Canadian Rockies is completely different than that
of their American counterparts because of their geography and
geology. Most dramatically, they appear steeper and more jagged
because of the extent to which the limestone and shale has been
carved out by glaciers. The cooler and wetter climate that enhanced
the formation of these glaciers created moister soil for lush
forests and larger rivers as well.
The Chateau Lake
Louise is one of the iconic railway hotels built in the early 1900s
by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The lake itself is fed by mountain
streams and is given its turquoise hue by fine particles of rock
ground to nearly microscopic size by the glaciers above.
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
“This is a recent
painting I did on Clayboard,” says artist Steve Hanks, “a surface that
still amazes me as a watercolour artist. The colors are brighter, the
rainwater and reflections are even more realistic.”
Limited Edition Giclée on paper
handsigned by the artist
Recently artist
Steve Hanks has been working on a series of paintings he refers to
as “There are Angels Among Us” wherein he explores the idea of
guardian angels in our lives. These may be angels of inspiration,
angels of beauty, angels who provide direction or protection in our
lives and the spirits of angels who lift us and sometimes even carry
us. Mostly he is creating a tribute to the great role models and
influences in his own life.
Boundless has a
compelling composition. Her gesture like a metaphor for the cross,
this joyous beauty leaps into a shaft of sunlight on an otherwise
dim and foggy beach. Viewers are left to wonder, will she come down
or is she on her way, eternally up?
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Hold onto the
Gate is a darling portrait of a child's first glimpse of life
outside the family. The elaborate wrought iron gate makes a dramatic
backdrop to the fragility of the little ballerina standing before
it. She won't be like this for long.
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
With Reflecting on
Indian Beach Steve Hanks shows just why he is regarded as the best
watercolor artist painting in America today. It is a definitive
combination of beauty, emotion and environment. “There is a big
difference between the beaches of the Northern Pacific Coast and
those down in Southern California,” says Hanks. “The surf rolls in
over long shallow flats. The waves pound and boil for great
distances, creating in the air thick moisture. This subtly diffuses
the light creating an atmosphere palatably different than that on
the beaches farther south.”
What began in his
mind as a relatively straight-forward painting took Hanks over a
month to create. He became absorbed in building the large reflective
areas of the tidal flats. It seems as if we can reach in ourselves
and run our fingers through the cool, moist sand at this serene and
magical place where tree-lined mountains slip beneath the surface of
the sea.
Limited Edition Giclée on paper
handsigned by the artist
As we grow older our perspective
broadens and nowhere is this more obvious than with children. And,
as is so often the case with a painting by Steve Hanks, the beauty
and seeming simplicity of the work gives no hint of the complexity
beneath. Each child interacts with the beach as they do the world.
The youngest boy in the back is focused on his older sister. She in
turn is picking up a shell, something in her immediate vicinity.
The next oldest, standing slightly
behind the group is focused on the actions of his immediate family.
The third, grasping some seaweed makes the connection between it and
the ocean from which it came. The oldest stares down the beach
toward a group of surfers, the opening of the next phase of life
beyond the immediate family.
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
She’s at the edge of a low wall with no
clear path ahead but her eyes are drawn to the sweep of white foam
from the crashing waves in the cove below. From there her dreams can
soar. The turn of her head contributes to the painting’s expression
of solitude and yet we share her view. Everything about this woman
says “confidence” and the beautiful composition of physical and
geographic curves presents an elegant portrait for any room in the
house. Scenic View is published as a giclée on paper, virtually
identical to the watercolor of the original painting.
Limited Edition Giclée on paper
handsigned by the artist
“The Pacific Ocean is one of my great loves,” says
Hanks. “It’s the ultimate edge. It’s a place for contemplation and reflection, a
place to remind us of the scale of our one life against the great forces of
nature. ”The ocean, with its vast horizons and pounding surf, has been a source
of endless inspiration to Hanks. As with many Hanks paintings, the scene is
layered with mystery. Who is this woman? Is she pressed against the edge of the
earth or is she contemplating her wide-open future? Beyond the Horizon,
with its spectacular sea and landscape, make a provocative and
sophisticated statement.
Limited Edition Giclée on paper
handsigned by the artist
When a child is learning a musical
instrument, it’s difficult for the student as well as their family
to patiently endure the practice time. The presence of the cat in Duet shows that practice has paid off and now the music
is so comforting that even the family cat will stay around to enjoy
it.
“My paintings of children are about
my hopes and dreams for them, and about my desire to expose them to
the arts: literature, art, music, dance and theater. I want to
encourage them to make decisions for themselves, to stand on their
own two feet, to think for themselves and to reach for their
dreams.”
-Steve Hanks
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
After a period of
personal loss, Steve Hanks began a series of paintings visualizing
his healing process. This inspiring series, which can be found in
its entirety in the new book Moving On: The Art of Steve Hanks,
follows the artist’s emotional journey from despair to hope. Waiting
in the Rain is one of the last paintings in the healing series.
“At this point I had
come out of my sadness. I began to think about the future. I thought
about the kind of person I would want to come into my life.
Waiting in the Rain is the visualization of that person, someone
supportive and faithful. We would all like to have someone there
waiting for us when we return from a trip.”
- Steve Hanks
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Steve Hanks is first and foremost a figure painter.
His watercolor paintings are infused with emotion and a kind of
poetry formed by light and shadow in his compositions. He often
paints what he refers to as "moments of introspective solitude,"
with deep respect for the privacy of the individual lost in
reflection. Each painting holds a mystery that is also a personal
story about the artist as he expresses his own emotional unfolding
through art.
Just as writers are urged to "write what you know," Steve Hanks
paints what he lives. When his children were born his work was
filled the profound intimacy between infants and parents the
unexpected joy of toddlers, and the wonder of youngsters finding
their way in the outside world.
The emotional impact of these detailed
and highly realistic paintings is undeniable. Whatever the
subject—children, families, women, nudes, landscape, moving water,
or textile patterns—the paintings are also about light and shadow,
and reflect a personal challenge, pain, or joy of the artist
The paintings in this volume represent
the most extensive collection of the artist's work in over ten
years. Some time after his divorce in the 1990s, Steve began a
series of paintings about healing. The paintings in this series are
both deeply personal in their symbolism of the artist's own life and
universal in their emotion and experience. "I want my whole body of
work to tell a story when I'm gone," says Steve. "It will tell the
story of my life emotionally."
- Steve Hanks
Hardcover Book with shrink wrapped jacket
Image Size:
11” x 14" 176 pages
over 160 full color paintings
"I believe that art can be more than
just pretty pictures. Art should bring comfort to people. It should
be by our side when we go through good times and hard times,"
art should elicit a thought provoking examination of one's own life
and place in the world."
"We all experience pain, but there
are great moments of pleasure all around us too. These moments may
often be fleeting and get by us before we are able to fully
comprehend their beauty and importance. I have tried to capture a
few of these moments in paintings that can be savoured for years to
come."
- Steve Hanks
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
"A river is heading somewhere, it's got
direction, Listening to the River is about listening to the world
you're in and waiting for its guidance. The woman is thinking about where she's headed."
~ Steve Hanks
Limited Edition Giclée on paper
handsigned by the artist
A woman stands in the shallow water, lost
in contemplation. As the cool waves wash gently over her feet, she feels the
warmth of the sun on her back and shoulders and is thankful for her
surroundings, for the blessings in her life and for new beginnings.
New
Shoreline, like all of Steve Hanks' work, is rich with layers of symbolism
and meaning. His titles are often the key to understanding the deeper
message waiting to be discovered in each painting, and they often have more
than one meaning.
This young woman stands on a new
shoreline that is unfamiliar and yet it opens a new world of opportunities.
Waves wash away the superficial layers of her past as she prepares herself
for the many challenges and possibilities the future offers. She stands
ready on the New Shoreline.
“When a painting occurs at seaside, often
the subjects are contemplating significant passages in their lives."
"Bathed in the glow of a warm sun, the
woman in this painting is connecting
with nature and the uncomplicated joy of life. Poised and confident she dips
her foot beneath the surface, an overture to exploring the unknown.”
-Steve Hanks
Limited Edition Giclée on paper
handsigned by the artist
“It is rare that I paint a piece with no
background. Since there is no competition with the image, the angel, my
daughter, appears to be floating within the white of the paper,” says Hanks
of his fine art limited edition My Little Angel. “The piece is about
treasuring times when your kids are still young and innocent and like to
dabble in make-believe. The colors are soft and subtle and create a feeling
that the angel is gliding. A lovely way to revisit the charms of childhood.”
-Steve Hanks
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
"Country Girls is simply about enjoying
the times when your children are small," says Steve Hanks. Sometimes his
pieces convey layers of meaning, this piece, however, in a smaller scale
than Hanks usually paints, conveys the beauty of two tow-headed girls
enjoying a moment outdoors in the country. In what could be Anytown, USA,
Hanks captures an innocent time of pretending and the simple joys of
childhood.
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
"Any healing process can be a lengthy
one," says Steve Hanks. "Often it can be helped by attempting to visualize
the future. Such is the inspiration for A New Beginning. This is, in fact,
the final painting in a series of three that have used the ascent of the
staircase to track this woman's passage. By reaching the landing at the top,
she has completed her growing process and is ready to move on. This
staircase reminds us to take things in life one step at a time, that a
promise of reward and satisfaction-the top of the staircase-and a new view
of the world around you, is a situation you can help create for yourself."
Limited
Edition Masterwork Giclee canvas
Hand signed by the Artist
The art of Steve Hanks is rich with
symbolism and metaphor. His titles are a key to understanding the deeper
message waiting to be discovered in each painting, and, often have more than
one meaning. “From a Higher Level is, on one hand a relationship piece, and
on the other, about the necessity of getting above the messiness of life’s
daily grind. Simple but conscious acts can lift us out of the toil and
finally place us on a higher ground,” Hanks says. “The piece is also about
communication, and how the rider and horse converse without necessarily
using words. The rider and horse can also represent the relationship between
art and the ability of art to communicate beyond words—From a Higher Level.”
Limited
Edition Giclee canvas
Hand signed by the Artist
Picture This
framing & gallery is an authorized representative for:
The Greenwich Workshop, Millpond Press, Somerset House,
The Western Lights Artists Group,
The Artist's Garden, Clearwater Publishing and other Fine Art publishers
Contact Us for more info.
