Specializing in Contemporary Impressionism, Steven Quartly paints and draws from his studio in Southern California. Quartly’s energy is infectious and his devotion to his art is palpable. Combining whimsical brush strokes and skilled palette knife work with vibrant color and a brilliant use of light and perspective, Quartly’s work Quartly began oil painting at age 13, demonstrating a true love of life, nature, color and form. Raised on the Northern California Coast, he was surrounded by beautiful scenery and spent time in the inspiring city of San Francisco. There he studied oil painting under mentor artist Carol Summers. 10 years of study of French and early American Impressionists would be the start of a passion for painting visions of beauty from his mind’s eye as well as his own travels. On graduating high school, he admits, "I didn't have a direction." He enrolled at Santa Barbara College, taking courses in art. Later he transferred to Azusa Pacific University near Pasadena where he was interested in music, drama, and art. He was in the university choir and also played the guitar and wrote music. He graduated with a B.A. in Fine Art. "It was like my life was filled with a miscellany of hobbies." Even though painting was not a priority to him at university, he learned through his studies to connect the emotion that he was seeking to portray in his paintings with technique-to communicate a depth of feeling that is evidenced in his work today. Before graduating, he was honored by being asked to paint a 30-foot mural for the university's Marshburn Memorial Library solarium. Eventually, he decided to pursue a career as an artist although he still loves to write music and sing. He has been painting full-time for about twenty years. His technique is intriguing and energetic with forced perspective and bold color and texture….all to invite and inspire the viewer into the scene. For Quartly, a blank canvas becomes an iconic European village corner, or sprawling grape vines in California, a sun-drenched beach in Hawaii. Inspired by the world around him and travels with his wife Natalie, Quarterly’s signature style resonates with collectors across the globe. When not in his studio painting, you can find Steven on the surfboard or hanging with his four children and Natalie.