Stephen McCall has spent a lifetime of careful looking. As a child he noticed that he had a natural talent for drawing the other kids would ask him to draw a horse or a boat – which are useful things to draw as a kid, everyone loves them. Now you are more likely to find him painting the beauty of the natural world with pastels, oil paints or occasionally now watercolours. He particularly paints mountains and water scenes, and when he's feeling confident the gentle dappled light of a forest. The beauty of the natural world is uplifting for Steve and painting is his way of sharing it.
One of the things that is important to Steve in any painting his authenticity. He works to capture this by focusing the way that light falls on a scene and a real emphasis on depth. Whilst he admits that he is somewhat attracted to the romance of painting outdoors or “en plein air”, he finds that Australian summers and Alpine winters a harsh environments in which to stand outside and focus on a scene. In fact snowy winter on Mount Buffalo he recalls wearing five layers, having one hand in his pocket, and the other one in gloves so thick he could barely paint. In light of that Steve has taken to painting from photographs - and taking his time interpreting the world he sees before him.
Sharing the beauty of the natural world is what gives Steve joy and his love for the natural world is what he hopes to communicate through his art. But his sharing doesn't end with his painting itself. Steve devotes a significant amount of his time and energy to the Bright Art Gallery, Having been a member since 2006 and standing as its current president.
In his role at the gallery Steve hopes to continue to grow the artistic community in the Alpine region. He also runs pastel workshops for beginners and advanced painters, both in Bright and further afield.
