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He was
encouraged by his mother and his teachers to
continue drawing. At approximately age 32, he
began to test the waters of painting on canvas.
He started painting portraits for co-workers at
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire in LaVergne, Tennessee where he worked for 30 years
until retirement in 2004. Steve has been
painting every since. Because of his
recognizable talent, he was commissioned by
Bridgestone to paint a 16’ x 32’ mural on a wall
within the plant to memorialize the events of
September 11, 2001 and the heroism of the United
States military men and women. As a result of
his continued diligence and effort at perfecting
his craft, his product continues to improve and
get increasingly more beautiful with each new
creation.
Steve is inspired to brush onto canvas many
different images with emphasis on reflections of
African American ethnicity. He also loves to
create images of other ethnicities, wild life
and nature, abstracts and buildings, and
landscapes and flowers. He loves what he does,
and that love is revealed in the art itself. He
believes that quality and customer satisfaction
are essential factors for success. Steve says,
“If your customers are pleased with the final
product, they will tell someone else about it.
Word of mouth advertisement is essential for
good business success. ”This
success has led to the fulfillment of his
life-long dream of owning an art gallery.
Steve’s Fine Art Studio & Gallery opened in 2006
and is located in the downtown district of
Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Even though Steve has over 30 years of painting
under his belt, he is continuously striving to
improve his skill with new techniques and ideas.
It gives him a great sense of accomplishment
that people all over the world are able to view
his art thanks to the World-Wide Web. Steve also
gives of his time and talent by participating in
events with the Bradley Academy Museum and
Cultural Arts Center, and he collaborated with
other local artists to create a unique mural
inside Patterson Community Center; both of which
are located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Steve
has also painted murals over the baptismal pools
of his home church, Bethel Missionary Baptist
Church and surrounding churches within
Rutherford County, as well as murals within the
private businesses and homes of customers. He
and his work have also been the subject of
several art exhibits within Murfreesboro,
Nashville, and other surrounding cities. He
loves to participate in projects that give back
to the community which has helped him to grow as
both a man and an artist.
Artist Statement
Steve Matthews states, “It is my desire to
preserve a portion of American culture on
canvas. This will enable future generations to
view who we are: past, present, and future. My
ability to capture onto canvas the image of a
loved one is also an important part of keeping
family and friends alive in our memories. I want
the younger generation to be inspired by my
struggles and ambitions, to know that they too
can follow their dreams.” |