Shore Power
Welcome to the gallery of
Steven W. Lush
Marine Artist/Model Shipwright
Steve was born in 1949 into a family with roots in both art and the sea. In 1968, after a year working as a "machinist apprentice" in an East Boston shipyard, Steve attended the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Graduating in 1971 with a Merchant Marine Engineer's license Steve sailed five years aboard freighters with American Export Lines and oil tankers with Standard Oil Co. of California. These voyages took him to ports around the Mediterranean, India, Africa, the American west coast and the South Pacific. Steve made three voyages from Brooklyn, NY to India via the Cape of Good Hope when, in the 1970's, the Suez Canal was closed to transit shipping.
Steve began building model ships in 1978 while living in Spain renewing his love of ships and the sea. Since then he has won 3 gold medals in model ship competitions in the Boston area and in Spain. In 1992 he began painting in watercolor and other mediums. He gave much of his early work away to friends and relatives.
Many of Steve's ship portrait watercolors are a result of hours researching the ship's history and construction. Steve has a large collection of reference books, ship's construction plans, photos he has taken, model ships and diorama's that he has built which are used as props or for reference in his paintings. Steve is an accomplished draftsman and frequently uses naval architects "ship's curves" along with his trained eye to achieve stunning results. Once his subject is drafted he is then free to "explode" his palette upon the WC paper. Every year, Steve spends the month of August with his wife, Nella, in Italy visiting relatives and travelling it's countryside and shores. Much of this time is spent painting outdoors (plein air). Steve finds this type of painting relaxing and a welcomed change from painting the balance of the year from within his North Andover, Massachusetts studio.
"My art has been influenced by my experiences at sea as a marine engineer and literature of the sea which I love. I admire the work of 4 watercolor artists : Winslow Homer, Arthur Briscoe, Carl Evers and William Gilkerson. Homer for his bold and colorful brushwork, Briscoe for his ability to portray expressive human motion, Evers for his incredible seas and ship portraits and Gilkerson for his unique watercolor style and flair for history. I love strong colors and strive to impart a sense of emotion, understated activity and contrasting light in my work."
Steven is an artist member of:
- American Society of Marine Artists (Signature Member)
- North Shore Arts Association, Gloucester , MA.
- Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge, MA.
- International Society of Marine Painters
Steven is associated with the following organizations:
- USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild
- Concord Art Association, Concord, MA.
- New England Watercolor Society
- The Arts League of Lowell, Lowell, MA.
Awards of Note:
- "Museum Purchase Award", 29th Annual International Maritime Art Exhibition, Museum of America and the Sea, Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT. ("The Red Tanker")
- "Painter's Award", Concord Art Association, Concord, MA. ("Brindisi at Night")
- "Gold Medal" awards (3). 1st medal @ The Model Ship Exhibit, Flix, Tarragona Spain 1981 (The felucca "Alexandra"), 2nd and 3rd @ The USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild Model Ship Exhibitions at the Constitution Museum, Charlestown, MA., 1984 ("Duilia") and 2008 ("The Spray")
Contact:
Phone: 978-975-0015