Steve Essom is a self taught artist.  As a young child all he wanted to do was draw and paint. His parents bought him his first Winsor and Newton oil painting set when he was 10 years old. Throughout his school years, he entered and won several art competitions, and he would do other school friends art homework in exchange for money or snacks from the school tuck shop.

He left school with top grades for Art, Pottery and Design, and went on to become a hairdresser, working for three well known local salons. He then became self employed as a hair stylist, which allowed him more time for his artwork. Steve painted in oils and acrylics for years on and off, whilst doing occasional commissions for friends.

In 2004, he made a decision to take his art seriously, exhibiting his work locally and continuing to do so every year since. In July 2008, he won first prize in the open Northamptonshire Art competition at the Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, with his portrait of David Coulthard entitled ‘D.C’.

Many of Steve’s portraits can be found on the first pages of Google Images.

Steve specialises in portraits and figurative work. He loves to paint ‘big’, and takes regular commissions, including wall murals. He also paints and draws people’s pets, sunsets, landscapes, seascapes and places of a nostalgic or personal feeling.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

(Pablo Picasso)