STEVEN NORTHCOTT
Make, Play, Create, Repeat.
I love to paint, draw and create.
When I was young, art wasn't a path that I was pushed towards. Ultimately, everyone celebrates the young artist, but when its time to put canvas to the pavement, it was important to be practical.
I made the decision to stop being practical on June 2nd, 1999. I was 23 years old.
I remember the day clearly because it was my first day at State Street Investment. I graduated with Honours and a Management Economics degree, became licensed to sell stocks and bonds by my third year of university, and had my choice of three jobs before graduation. It was all a part of the plan that I was supposed to do. It wasn't the plan that I wanted. On my first day of work, my 'career', surround by beige desks, and silence, I had realized I made a terrible mistake. And it wasn't even lunchtime.
So I started listening to myself. I continued making art, as I had my whole life, mostly in secret, wondering how I could spend the rest of my life doing this. Creating. Doing what I do best. What I enjoy the most. In 1999, that was an incredible challenge. I felt, that if I continued to work hard, at what I enjoyed, it would all work out. I had to make some intense life decisions which included changing cities, going back to school, changing careers, and ultimately leaving the only country I had ever lived. Reinvention takes passion, patience, bravery, and commitment. These traits are all lessons that I continue to teach and demonstrate in my classrooms to young artists who need someone to tell them that life in the arts is indeed possible. Never more so than now.
Inviting art back into my life was a game changer. I became more confident. Developed purpose. And it allowed me a true, authentic, powerful way to connect with people. I used my art in ways that helped raise awareness, inspire and raise money for charities (Rock for the Environment, Athlete Portrait Series, etc). Being an artist allowed me to connect with local communities while living abroad from painting massive murals with local artists in Beijing, China to creating custom artwork for local companies.
My artwork tends to be large and reflects my surroundings. I enjoy looking for ways to incorporate local and cultural imagery in to my pieces, often mixing it with an abstract, street-art flair.
For the past 17 years, I have been a working artist. Both as a teacher and as a practicing artist and I am so incredibly grateful. My path was certainly non-traditional, but it was mine. I enjoy sharing with students that they too have a path. They just need to be brave enough to walk it.
