Artist Stephen Griffin spends a lot of time on the water sailing, boating, and fishing.
Seizing opportunities to work with some of the most noted impressionists of his time, Stephen Griffin has emerged as a preeminent marine artist who brings the stories of living and working on the water to life in his art.
Who had the most influence on your career early in life?
When I was in art school in Philadelphia in my 20s, I had the good fortune to meet Cedric Egeli, the son of famed Norwegian-born impressionist Bjorn Egeli who came to the U.S. in the 1920s after spending seven years at sea painting ships. Cedric and his wife, Joanette, both professional artists, invited me to study with them on their farm just south of Annapolis. Within six months I was running their art school. I knew an opportunity of this kind seldom comes along, and it launched my professional artist career.
What did you learn?
I could have gone to any art school in the country, but to study with them directly was invaluable. What I recall the most is their love of the profession, what it requires as a job, not just as a hobby. No one teaches you the business of being a professional artist in school. They instilled in me a love of the profession well beyond a skill I was learning.
How did landscape painting on the water evolve?
I met Robert Gruppe, a third-generation artist of the famous Gruppe family, while painting in Gloucester and Rockport, MA. It was his wife who suggested I “come tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.” and paint with her husband while he fished on Cape Cod. He influenced my impressionist style. I’ve continued to paint with him for the last 30 years.
Are there favorite subjects to paint around the Bay?
My favorite scenes to paint are the skipjacks, oyster boats, and crab boats. My day starts at 4 a.m. Sunrise and sunsets are the best lights for drama. I’ve found watermen to have the same critical discerning eye for knowing the movement of water that I feel when painting the Bay. It takes time to learn that skill. The Eastern Shore was isolated for so long that its history provides a unique lifestyle and spirit I try to capture in my work.
How did Plein Air Easton take shape?
Plein Air means “open air,” and today the art festival (July 12-21) has grown to the largest one of its kind in the world. It started in 2004 when Nancy Tankersley presented the idea to the Easton Main Street director Al Bond, and a consortium of businesses, citizens, and organizations developed it further. I painted the first year it opened and was immediately drawn to the area. I told my friend who lived there, “Find me a studio. I’m going to move here.”
How do you put the viewer in the painting?
I spend a lot of time on the water sailing, boating, and fishing. You must be on the water to experience the water in a way others will as well. It’s amazing what can be embedded in a few well-placed brushstrokes. But it doesn’t have to be perfect. Trying too hard to capture something in motion like the water or a moving boat can make it appear static and lifeless. You want to keep the painting in flux and let the viewer complete it in their mind.
What’s your advice to those who want to paint professionally?
My attitude is this: get to work; do your job!
Where can your work be seen?
Three main galleries carry Stephen’s work: the Trippe Gallery in Easton, the McBride Gallery in Annapolis, and the Egeli Gallery in Provincetown, MA. Follow his participation in the Plein Air Easton Art Festival or contact him at [email protected].
By Gwen Mayes
About the interviewer: Gwen Mayes is a writer, life coach, workshop host, and docent for the Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park. Find her at anchortoself.com.
