Loose Watercolor Painting Workshop

Steve Griggs Bio

I’ve always been a dreamer, a romantic, and an artist. I’ve been told more than once that I have my ‘head in the clouds.’ I admit that is true. I see the world differently. Maybe that is why I like watercolor so much. It is fluid and free and has a hard time playing by the rules. 

I received a traditional art education at both Michigan State University and Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, but I just couldn’t seem to follow the rules either. I kept asking, “What if I did this?” Or, “What if I changed that?” Early on I developed a loose style of watercolor painting and over time it has evolved to a very loose style. I start a story with my paintings but then, I want the person looking at them to find their own story and finish what I started. That is how I connect with the collector, by creating a story telling relationship. I want to do more than paint a pretty picture. I want to create art that connects us through thoughts, memories, feelings, and beauty.

Artist Statement

Traditional watercolor methods teach artists how to control watercolor paint, but I prefer not to try and control the paint. Watercolor is free spirited and when allowed to be free, the results can be beautiful. I like to think of it as becoming friends with the paint and, rather than trying to control it, learning to work with it to achieve lively and energetic paintings.

Loose watercolor painting creates such moving art that people respond to it with quite a bit of emotion. It is a fun and powerful way to connect art and humanity. I don’t strive to paint static scenes, I seek to paint in a way that evokes feeling or memory in the viewer.

I like to think of my paintings as a love letter to the people, places, and moments that make up the human experience.