Meet Tanner Steed | Oil Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanner Steed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tanner, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
I want to be undeniable. By the end of my career, I need to have a body of work that so undeniably contributes to the greater world of Fine Art. I may never know if I arrive, as it is not for me to decide. For an artist, your career ends when you can not pick up a paintbrush. So, until then, I will just keep working every single day.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Becoming a full time artist is the biggest dream come true. Looking back at my childhood and life, it makes complete sense this is where I ended up. My grandmother on my mother’s side, Marion Starr, was an artist. I grew up surrounded by her art; she even began a huge mural of a city scape on my childhood bedroom wall that she sadly was never able to complete. I recall being a young kid with my grandparents walking around the Museum of Nature and Science with my sketchbook trying to draw the taxidermy wolves. Though I did not think I would grow up to be a painter. In high school, I got a job working at a before and after school program at Sand Creek Elementary School. The kids I worked with there were constantly asking me to draw things for them to color, mostly silly things like Spider-man and Elsa eating ice cream or their dog surfing, but I really enjoyed it. It sparked enough interest for me to try and sketch things I was interested in during my free time. I ended up going into teaching and after graduating college, I became the art teacher at SCE. While I adored working with the kids on their projects, I loved this job because of how easily I could work on my own paintings while the children worked independently. While I worked there, I met Daniel Sprick and other amazing artists I began to work with. I also began to teach adults at the Art Students League of Denver and privately. This along with selling paintings enabled me to quit teaching at SCE in 2021 and become a full time artist. It was one of the biggest and scariest leaps I’ve made in my life, but I knew it was the correct next step. It may have been daunting, but I knew I had found my passion and calling in life. My art continues to evolve and get better and better with every painting I complete. It reflects my life in both subject and technique. I have been influenced by Daniel Sprick and the other incredible artists I work along side of, and I make a point to include nods to their work. I have learned that it is possible to achieve the crazy dream I had in my head as a kid, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to do my passion everyday.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My absolute favorite place in Denver is my studio. It belongs to master artist Quang Ho; he is kind enough to let me and my art group, The Platte River Realists, work out of it during the ten months out of the year he lives in PA. It is full of beautiful antiques, masterful paintings, and is next door to Daniel Sprick. Some of the objects he stores in the studio feel like they should be in a museum; the bathroom door is from first century China. I love bringing family and friends that visit from out of town and that live locally by to see it and to check out my works in progress. I would also have to show them three of my favorite places to expierence the best art in Denver. First, we would go to Gallery 1261, especially if they were having a show opening. It would almost certainly be full of lots of my friends, drinks, and incredible art. Close by, also in Downtown Denver, is the Denver Art Museum. I love going to see my favorite painting “Study of Head of Capri Girl, Rosina Ferrera” by John Singer Sargent. We would also have to make the drive down to Colorado Springs to see the Broadmoor Gallery. and the beautiful landscape that surrounds it.
When I’m not busy painting, another passion of mine is mushroom foraging. I am very blessed to live in Colorado that is FULL of amazing spots to find all sorts of unique mushrooms. Hiking allows me to clear my head, reset in nature, and it certainly doesn’t hurt when I’m able to bring my art supplies and work on a plein air piece to remember the day. My go to hike that I would want to bring a friend would be Mount Falcon.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When I was first beginning to paint, the artist I looked up to most was Daniel Sprick. Dan’s art is so beautifully composed with such skill and precision. He is making history with every brushstroke. Now, I have the honor of calling Dan not only a huge inspiration, but my personal mentor, teacher, and friend. My studio I work in is next door to his, and he pushes me and my art in ways I could never could have imagined.

Website: https://www.tannersteedart.com/

Instagram: @tannersteedart

Facebook: Tanner Steed

Youtube: @tannersteedart