Steve Hanks 1949-2015

Steve’s astonishing realism came from a skillful control of washes, edges and layers, and his knowledge of the properties of water and pigment.
After high school Hanks enrolled in summer session commercial art courses at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. He did well in his commercial art classes, but it was a life drawing class that captured his interest. He focused his energy on the study of anatomy and figure drawing and transferred into the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California. He graduated in the 1960s with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and then moved back to New Mexico in search of a home art gallery.
Initially, he drew in pencil and painted in oils. His paintings were impressionistic while his drawings were more realistic. Eventually, an allergic reaction to oils forced him to experiment with watercolors. Using the techniques learned from other mediums, he found he could create watercolors as “finished” as oils.
Jurors, galleries and collectors have long recognized Steve Hanks’ talent. He received the National Watercolor Society Merit Award and the National Academy of Western Art Gold Medal, in addition to consistently appearing in the list of top ten American artists compiled by U.S. Art Magazine. Art for the Parks has honored his work with many awards.
His highly collected nudes convey an introspective solitude that prompts the viewer to think about his or her own life and path. “Women occupy a special niche in my sensitivity. They express more storytelling ability. There’s more magic in them,” he said.
The emotional impact of these detailed and highly realistic paintings is stunning. Whatever the subject—children, families, women, nudes, landscapes, water, textile patterns—the paintings are also about light, shadow and emotion. They each reveal a personal challenge, pain, or joy of the artist.
“I want my whole body of work to tell a story when I’m gone,” he said. “It will tell the story of my life emotionally.”