http://paintingbyshub.com

Stephen Shub

Coming Full Circle All I ever wanted to be was an artist. In one way or another, I've worked in the arts for almost 40 years. The way my career started was what I think of as "fate". At 14 I seriously broke my right leg. I was put into a full body cast for about 8 months. During that time I began drawing to help pass the time.

Around that time I found out about the High School of Art & Design. I took the entrance exam still walking with crutches. It was an incredible introduction to art as a career. After graduation from Parsons School of Design, I began working as a freelance illustrator. In the late 80's I made the transition to a computer graphic artist. In 1990 I joined Young & Rubicam Advertising and began the computer studio. I collaborated with the entire creative staff in creating their ad comps and presentation materials for all of their clients. After 7 years, I was managing 2 computer studios.

The fate part of my life is that the long-term effects of that accident all those years ago has forced me into an early retirement due to chronic pain. I can't sit for more then a few hours at a time, but I paint every day. The most common reaction people have to my work is "I thought it was a photograph". They were not created in PhotoShop or any other computer gimmickry. If you look closely you'll see that what I paint goes attempts to go beyond the photograph. The irony is that I don't think I would have been able to create these paintings under any other circumstances.

Unlike many other artists, I don't have a resume of prestigious awards I've won. What I do have, is a portfolio of work that was created under the most difficult conditions of my 60 years. I'm proud of my work. It's the culmination of everything I've ever learned, and I can honestly say that it's a true reflection of who I am. Even at this point in my life I feel I'm just beginning. I've never felt such an intense surge of creativity, and that's saying a lot for me.