Stephen Berry

Artist Statement

I like the joy and focus I find while painting. I like playing with water, and seeing what it does. I like experimenting. Little discoveries happen along the way, and you must decide how you’ll respond. It’s a relationship and a dance. That’s the basic reason I began to paint and it’s why I continue to do so.

I prefer subjects that hinge on my role as a steward of the Earth, that resonate with my life and history as a native northern Californian, and that have a story to tell emotionally. I’m not interested in pretense. I’m fueled by a desire for a direct connection with the land that feeds and heals me. My paintings help carry that experience forward for others.

I paint in watercolor on paper. I start wet in wet, and build to thicker opaque layers. I mount my works on cradle board and varnish them. They are waterproof, lightfast, and presented without glass.