It seems fitting that the art of Steve Barton appears to move like the waves of the sea. The happy, carefree style he paints is an essence of his personality – fun-loving, nostalgic and making waves across the fine art scene. Barton’s signature wavy canvases and frames are unmistakable characteristics of 95% of his paintings. The purpose is to give viewers another perspective that allows them to move with the paining and enjoy the intense sense of relaxation and good times the artist evokes. Vivid colors and heavy layering perfectly complement Bartons most common subject matter  – the beach.

Ironically, Barton’s journey to success as an artist began on the East Coast, far away from the current tropical setting in Southern California that now inspire his work. Painting was a way of life and Barton’s family. His mother was an oil painter who encouraged him to begin creating by the time he was eight years old. Barton sold his first painting by the age of 16. Instead of the typical teenage fast-food job, Barton exhibited his work at regional art fairs with his mom. On the weekends he would sit in front of the covered New Hampshire bridges near his home and paint, waiting for a passerby to stop and purchase one of his paintings.

“I’m dyslexic, and painting was the only thing I was ever good at,” Barton says. “It was always an outlet for me.”