To the west were fields and farms and to the east the mountains. The Wasatch Range provided opportunities for hiking and exploring canyons. This variety of experiences helped Stephen develop a love and respect for nature.

"My goal is to lift the spirit of the veiwer beyond the physical idenity of the subject. This can be done by painting the essence of realism and not realism as detail. I endeaver to maintain a sense of place in the painting and stay grounded in organic forms. I lean towards tonalistic color harmony using a tapestry value system. The cycle of life and all the seasons of change in nature have a great influence on the art work that comes forth, be it any subject."

"I hope people will enjoy a sense of mood from the paintings that come to me through my personal vision of space and form."

"I am self-taught, and when I work directly from nature I seek for solutions through observations of images that constantly change with light and atmosphere. My on location paintings and studies form the catalyst for my studio paintings."