Living Grand Masters: Steven Assael

Well, some of the people I deem as "grand masters" I have already listed as teachers. This is where categorization starts to drive me crazy. Steven Assael is undoubtedly one of the great painters of our time, so it won't hurt to do another post for him.

If you've never seen Steve develop a painting it is simply outrageous. At first his technique looks like a very bad idea, and it is very easy to get nervous that he's not going to pull the thing off, but he always does, gloriously. He uses a bright orange, red, or hot pink ground color and uses the surface as a palette. He works unbelievably quickly, slapping and slamming a loaded wet brush as though it were the enemy, but with a totally disinterested expression.

Steve was in his twenties when he painted this. They roped off a section of their apartment to keep everything in the right place.

Still my favorite.




A piece in progress featured in the new American Artist.