Stephen Lucas

After art college, an apprenticeship with Wesley E. Johnson introduced a deep interest in abstraction. Working with blind contour techniques—typically using black paint applied with a brush or sponge—forms the basis for each composition. The process involves clearing the mind, responding intuitively to emerging marks, and building on contrasts and lines as they develop, without representing a specific space or figure. Viewers often find their own meanings within the work, but the artist paints without intention to depict, letting each piece reveal itself through the act of painting. The work feels complete when composition, line, and color resonate visually, forming an expressive language in paint.