Stephen McCall: A lifetime of careful looking

By Daniel A'Vard Stephen McCall has spent a lifetime of careful looking. As a child he noticed he had a natural talent for drawing when the other kids would ask him to draw a horse or a boat: which are useful things to draw as a kid, as everyone loves them. Now you are more likely to find the Bright artist 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 Stephen and painting is his way of sharing it. One of the important things to him in any painting is authenticity. He works to capture this by focusing on the way light falls on a scene and a real emphasis on depth. Whilst he admits he is somewhat attracted to the romance of painting outdoors or “en plein air”, he finds Australian summers and Alpine winters are harsh environments in which to stand outside and focus on a scene. In fact, one 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, Stephen 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 Stephen 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. Stephen 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 Stephen 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. Stephen's art is on display at the Bright Art Gallery Spring Exhibition, or if you are interested in trying pastels, he is set to run a workshop on site this Saturday 10 October.

Stephen McCall: A lifetime of careful looking

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