Steven Stein

I have been an artist most of my life, My mother brought me often to The Exodus Gallery in San Pedro where I first encountered art. she also brought me to many galleries. I watched my mother’s friends paint and draw. In jr. College I studied Commercial Art, and I always liked printing so I go my first job working as a paste-up artist in a small mom and pop print shop. Eventually I walked into a publishing company in need of an artist and without a portfolio I landed the job which eventually allowed me to become an Art Director for many years.

Now that I am retired as a commercial artist I create my art more for fun but I treat it as if its paid for job. I work and have worked in many mediums. My earlier art is photography which I took a liking to on my trip to France with Louise. Louise became my model in many of my photos. I also took an interest in panoramas before our phones could shoot one for us. I had a show of my work at the main Long Beach Library.

Being I was trained as a graphic artist I have created a lot of art on my computer and during that time My work was wordy and I designed triangle frames and pentagon frames that I made in my living room. I also created some computer generated 3D objects which I manufactured out of paper products.

These days I am drawing with colored pencils on watercolor paper and building cool objects in ceramics. The method I draw with is very time consuming and I have avoided that for some time trying to deneralize some things from my brain. My subject has no meaning and I try to create art that entertains. When Im not drawing I am making smoking pipes and cool objects in ceramics and I’ve learned to love building things right in my hands.

I am one of the few surviving members of the Long Beach Arts Association which started in 1924, mostly non active though we do have a window that we hang art in at the Traffic Mall.