Stephen Snider's Tribute to a Flying Officer

Stephen Snider turned one of life's lemons into lemonade. As a young man, Stephen was rejected for military service when he failed the coloured dot test. Now, many yars later, Stephen, has become a successful commercial artist. Although, there ar times he finds iironical when he is called upon to paint military artworks.

I was struck by the pensive look Stephen in his subject in this work. It transcends military rank and uniform. We see the face of a man who is lost in his inner landscape. What is he thinking of?

Like any good artist, Stephen strives to gives his art life and meaning. In this picture, he has opened a door of many thoughts. What has happened in his subject's life? Is he reflecting on experiences past? Is he thinking about the helicopter we see below him?

Artist's Comment:

I did this particular portrait for the army back in the mid '80's and the original hung for years in the Armed Forces College on Avenue Rd. This flying officer was sent over to Italy back in the '70's to help out after a devastating earthquake there. His helicopter flew into hydro lines and got tangled and crashed to his death. After that incident the Armed Forces devised special heavy duty wire cutters to be mounted on top of the canopy and underneath the fuselage to cut the wires for the next time, so his life was not in vain

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Story Time: Stephen Snider, Fredericks, and the Warkworth Co-op

Stephen Snider was one of my art teachers, along life's way. He was good, and he did all the things that art teachers should do to students: he motivated, inspired, taught, and challenged.

Let me tell you what I mean by challenged.

I was struggling to figure out which end of my paint brush to stick in water, when Stephen tossed this scene out as a challenge. Its a picture of the old mill and coop in Warkworth Ontario, across the street from the seniors centre where Stephen led his art classes.

I painted and repainted this scene, and never got it right. It was more an exercise in frustration then anything else. And, what frustrated me most of all was that Stephen who rarely painted in waters, picked up a brush and tossed this picture off, without seeming to break into a sweat.

And here's where this blog entry is going.

It was not just a challenge for me, but it exceeded my level of ability. It was beyond the grasp of my level of skill and confidence.

The moral of the story - I guess as artists we have to be realistic and know our limitations. Its ok to reach for the moon - but what happens if we can't grasp it? Are we prepared for the consequences?

As painters, we need to be challenged, but we also need to be able to accept our limitations and not be overly discouraged by failure.

It was only when I reached the point as a watercolourist, when I could paint without worrying about the consequences of failure, that I had a signficant breakthrough in my development.

I have known many beginning watercolour painters, gasp with horror at their first paintings in waters - then toss their brushes down and walk away from the media.

I have painted in waters now for about 5 years. The Warkworth mill is now within my reach - I think. Its time for a repaint.

Please check the list of featured artists on the right side of the page for a link to Stephen's site.

Stephen Snider: Fall Market Scene

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Stephen Snider - Premium Artist

Stephen Snider is internationally known for his historical illustrations, aviation art, drawing and painting classes and children's book illustrations. Stephen uses woodcut, watercolor, acrylics and oil paints to create his art and is recognized for his attention to detail and accuracy in each historically researched piece.

Stephen Snider has been a freelance illustrator since the early eighties after graduating from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. He's worked for advertising agencies, book and magazine publishers, design firms and corporate clients all over North America. He's even covered peace time operations in Canada and Europe for the Canadian Armed Forces.

Stephen is still busy illustrating for his clients but in the past few years he's branched out more into the fine arts world. He enjoys landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, portraits (animal or human) and just about anything else that catches his eye. He can be found in downtown Toronto or in resort towns like Whistler sketching the buildings and people. He then goes back to his country studio in Northumberland county and works up the sketches into larger paintings for commissions and future clients. When he's not busy illustrating for a publisher or painting a large cityscape or doing a watercolour of some grand old Muskoka cottage, he's teaching two classes a week in drawing and painting to adults.

The above biography was extracted from Robert Genn's, Painter's Keys. Please click here for the Painter's Keys website.

Steven Snider, Ontario Artist

I first met Stephen after responding to an advertisement to join his weekly art group in Warkworth, Ontario. Stephen took me into his sketching class, even though my focus was watercolour painting.

Stephen's classes were lively, communicative affairs and loaded with good teaching and lots of laughter.

Stephen knew how to challenge and push buttons. He walked into a zone where most teachers dared not tred, when he took my brush in his hand and demonstrated over top of my artwork.

I was frustrated beyond imagination. I tossed my work down on a sofa, in frustration at my own lack of progress.

On another occasion he whipped a small brush out of my hand and admonished me for its use. But, through it all, Stephen placed my development foremost, and he provided valuable lessons on values of light. Stephen later told me that he had not had any painting student who had such enormous drive to succeed. He has been a supportive friend in art ever since and is generous with advice, encouragment and supportive critiques.

Stephen is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art, in Toronto and he has lived until recently in the picturesque village of Warkworth. His artwork has been used by advertising agencies, businesses, magazines, and the Dept. of National Defence and the War Museum. No surprise, for Stephen had his early sights set on becoming a pilot.

Look for some of Stephen's future works on the blog.

Please check his website: www.stephensnider.net/