Steve Ohlsen's online profile page - Rent and buy original artwork online

Though I've never really been formally trained as an artist, I've always been very visually oriented. My mother was an …

Though I've never really been formally trained as an artist, I've always been very visually oriented. My mother was an Art Major in college but I was the one in the family that was always taking pictures. I got my first SLR while taking Photography classes in my Jr. and Sr. years in High School. Since then I've pursued my photographic and artistic interests on and off for many years while working my day job, making occasional sales of my work in the fine art, home decor and stock photography fields, ever longing to pursue life as a full-time freelance in the arts. Over time I believe my artistic sense has been sharpened, making me more aware of my surroundings, more attentive to detail, the shapes, textures, colors, designs and elemental interaction, juxtapositions and nuances in my environment, wherever that may be. I can find beauty and artistic merit in the mountains or on a downtown street, in the countryside or in a building interior. My tastes are quite varied, in that my subjects include landscapes and nature, but also architecture, still life, concept, abstract, lifestyle, seasonal, holiday, recreation, leisure, health, fitness, travel and human interest, not necessarily being a complete list nor in that order. I follow my eye, whatever catches its' attention. Whatever intrigues me, calls to me aesthetically and speaks to me on some emotional level is the focus of my art. The camera has been my artistic tool. Since photography is art, I've used it similarly to a brush with light as my paint. Although I was a photographer first, and ever will be, I've come to love and discover the digital arts as well. I often use Adobe Photoshop in my work. Owning Adobe Illustrator and Corel Painter as well, I plan to incorporate these tools into my artwork also as I learn them. So, as my subjects are varied, so too my mediums. Photographs are, or can and should be, artistically beautiful in themselves, and many of my images stand as photographs alone as they ought, but I've found that some of my images come to full fruition after digital work is done. The software available now is incredible and creating and enhancing my photos in the digital darkroom brings me as much joy, almost, as shooting behind the camera. Art is everywhere. It can build and uplift, encourage, inspire, enliven and soothe. It can comfort and make us smile. It can and should make us happy. At least that's my ideal, what I'm striving for.