Member - Steve Crossett |
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GETTING THE BIG PICTURE "This is the start of something big, really big." This phrase didn't exactly spring to mind when Del Ray Artisans member Steve Crossett first met with restaurateur Ralph Capabianco, but BIG is what has indeed happened. An Oklahoma native, Steve has a degree in painting from the University of Oklahoma. At that time there was not the support for the school of realism as there is today, but he found a way to exhibit his paintings at local restaurants in Norman, Ok. Today though a systems programmer by day, he still showcases his artistic talent at local restaurants, but on a much grander scale. About 7 years ago, Steve decided to see if once again--only this time in Alexandria--he could find a restaurant venue where he could exhibit his art work. With a portfolio full of drawings and paintings of jazz musicians and vintage trucks, he went to Old Town Alexandria's King Street Blues to talk to the management. Owner Ralph Capabianco was so impressed that he bought about a dozen of Steve's pieces on the spot, and over the years has become Steve's biggest patron, commissioning him to create art for his many area restaurants. Steve's first commission for one of Ralph's restaurants was staggering because of the deadline and the enormous number of pieces needed. "Because I only had 2 weeks to create 10 large (4' x 4') paintings, I couldn't do them as traditional paintings," explained Steve. "So instead, I made finely detailed drawings using a charcoal pencil on gray paper and then applied a thinned acrylic paint wash on top. I could work rapidly and get nice, rich black tones." Varying between pencil to charcoal sticks the size of his thumb, the success of this technique has allowed Steve to achieve very polished work that keeps his clients coming back for more. He recently completed a youthful portrait of the founder of the Birchmere. Again it is the large 4' x 4' format, and depicts him at the age of 17 alongside legendary James Dean. Not everything Steve does though is so huge or so public. He sometimes "knits faces," as his wife Rita quips. Taking a single 5-foot length of florist wire, he fashions continuous-line portrait "sketches." Seemingly suspended in midair by being sandwiched between 2 sheets of plexi, these minimalist portraits are telling of Steve's sense of "realism with a touch of humor." On occasion, Steve mounts a shadow box behind the wire drawing and creates a collage to further capture the essence of his subject. (Unfortunately for most of us, only a few special acquaintances have merited a "knitting" sitting.) Steve has been a member of the Del Ray Artisans since nearly its beginnings in 1992. In addition to exhibiting his art over the years, he has been a valuable volunteer: serving as a judge for the Student Art Show, creating spectacular decorations for the DRA Halloween party, and collaborating with his cousin, Radio DelRay's Randy Allen, to create and maintain our website. So, next time you are thinking of dining out, you should check out Steve's work at Stella's, Gaffney's, Kingstowne's King Street Blues, or in the Majestic Bar of Evening Star. And of course, there's "Big Rita," the very robust version of his wife which presides in the entrance foyer of Calvert Grille. It represents bounty--every artist's big hope.
Unauthorized use of images is
prohibited without artisans written expressed permission.
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