Forever changing

Artist Steve Slimm continues to evolve, whilst somehow remaining the same, just like the landscape he paints.

The landscape expressionist painter Steve Slimm has been through some major life-changes these past 12 months, to say the least. Following the death of his long-term partner in August 2016, he has been blessed with a new relationship this year, which apparently threatens to take him away from Cornwall. His planned move to Devon will not, however, mean the end of his Cornish connection, with his studio near Praa Sands remaining active, and many galleries showcasing his acclaimed landscapes.

“I have no wish to tell you what a place looks like, I want to tell you how I feel about what I see & what I experience.” – Steve Slimm

Over the past three decades the name ‘Steve Slimm’ has become synonymous with a deep connection to the natural environment. His paintings, although not instantly obvious, breathe the essence of archaic Cornwall – of the moors, the coast, of the ancient tracts of land before we arrived in force to both populate and, for better or worse, leave our footprint. “One thing is for sure”, Steve muses, “we have changed things; it’s what we do. And yet the essence of the land remains the same – unchanged, and unchangeable. A bit like ourselves really.” It is of our human connection to our unchangeable planet, that Steve’s work speaks. Through his artwork, Steve uses paint to tell of an ideal world of harmony. The horizon is rarely distinct, but rather a misty, even mystical, merging of land and sky. His work leads viewers toward feeling safe, with feet firmly on the ground, whilst at the same time soaring toward the light. In this way, his work has proved inspirational to many an aspiring artist through the years.

If you are looking for detailed topographical interest, though, in Steve’s own words: “I’m afraid you can forget it! I have no wish to tell you what a place looks like, I want to tell you how I feel about what I see – what I experience. By doing this, I somehow know I am reminding you, the viewer, of how you feel about it, about the unchangeable in all of us; and how our connection to the land is somehow part of this. That’s all I wish to say; and if this invokes connectedness – then I’m happy.”