Boyd Steer did a bit of drawing in high school and they reappeared as doodles as an adult. In his mid-seventies, he started taking classes and his art took off! He has a unique style and rhythm to his art.
How did you find yourself on an artist’s path? Always there? Lightbulb moment? Dragged kicking and screaming? Evolving?
With a little prodding from a co-worker, Lucy, my art took off when I was 75. I would doodle cartoons from time to time and she asked, “Boyd do you draw?” Every day she’d bug me to make drawing a part of my life again. I hadn’t drawn much since high school, where I won a Bullock’s award and an invitation to attend the Chouinard Art Institute.
Tell us about your journey to learn the basics of drawing and painting.
I finally gave in and enrolled in an advanced perspective course at Pierce College in fine art instruction for ages 4 to adult classes at Drawn2Art. In the advanced perspective class the instructor held up a picture of a train, explaining that every week we would, step by step, create our own trains. Without much thought I finished class and proceeded home, where I finished the train drawing in a single night! Not wanting to flaunt my talent (I’m told that’s not my style) I didn’t show our teacher but rather gave the woman sitting next to me a glance to which she responded, “why aren’t you teaching the class?”
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Reminiscent of Will Ferrel in Elf, classes at Drawn2Art in the San Fernando Valley were filled with five to twelve-year-olds – until I joined the class. The child-size desk and chair needed to be turned upside down to even allow me to sit down. Having to raise my hand to ask permission to sharpen my pencil or use the restroom was commonplace among my classmates as to set a good example. Despite the age difference I never felt like the elephant in the room for the four years I attended classes.
What is the biggest impact on ‘going back to school’ on your art?
With this increased confidence, my simple doodles in black and white suddenly sprung to life with color for the first time in years.
Do you sell your work?
Fast forward a few years into my newfound love of art, my coworker Lucy once again approached me to check in and ask if my art was selling. I said I’d sold a few pieces here and there but didn’t have a great avenue to showcase my art. She suggested we hold an art show and wine tasting in my honor at our place of work, Mountain Gate Country Club. Attendees who only knew of me from work were in awe – to the tune of selling 25 out of 80 drawings in a single evening.
What do you do differently? What is your signature that makes your work stand out as yours?
I’ve been told I have a unique style and rhythm to my art. I’ve always just let it flow free from thought. I have always been attracted to Norman Rockwell, both his style and subject matter and it shows in my re-imagining of his pieces. Eric Nares also intrigued me, evident in my drawing of basketball stars; a few of which made their way into former Los Angeles Laker James Worthy’s hands during the art show.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
My originals mostly stem from random photos on the internet or ones that are sent to me by friends wanting a recreation of a treasured memory.
How have other people supported your work?
I depend on my go-to frame shop for the finishing touches on my art as well as recommendations for setting prices. As for selling, I depend on my coworker turned adopted grandson Austin to handle the business side of things because I prefer to stay behind closed doors and draw rather than debate prices for my treasured drawings.
Follow Boyd on Instagram.
Interview posted March 2024
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