Portrait of the Artist as a Family Man

“For me a strong work of art is the result of a powerful experience. I am attracted to everyday sensations and find myself responsive towards the subtle beauty of things, the hours when there is tranquility of light, the rhythms of nature,” says painter Luke Steadman.

On a sunny fall Saturday afternoon, the artist and his family are gathered in the front yard of their house in Vero Beach. Luke’s 5-year-old daughter Ava hugs her father, hops on her bike and tears down the lane followed by her mother, Amanda and baby brother Ty.

After giving a tour of his garage studio, this serious and articulate young man continues the discussion of his work. He says, “I want my viewers to see evidence of my experience. I want to convey my moods and emotions through my paintings and awake the viewers to the wonders of being alive in this spectacular universe.”

The artist views the world as a wondrous place and reacts with poetic and sensitive perceptions, finding adventure underlying the routine of daily life. He endeavors to imbue his paintings with his joyous outlook.

Luke is practically a native son of Vero Beach, having come to the city with his family at the tender age of six months. He was educated in the local public schools and graduated from Vero Beach High School in 1998, as did his wife, Amanda. It was there that his interest in art originated. In his junior and senior years, Luke dabbled in photography and created etchings and pen and ink drawings.

Read the entire article in the January 2012 issue