Steve Driscoll creates vibrant depictions of the Canadian wilderness, expanding on the revered national tradition of landscape painting. He translates his encounters into paintings with a unique process of mixing oil pigments with an industrial material, urethane. He initially developed this technique, which is akin to working with watercolour, while studying at OCAD. He applies the liquid medium to panels laid on the floor and works quickly, 'wet on wet', with custom brushes to create intuitive compositions of vistas, forest canopies, and lakes that are inspired by his own experiences of hiking and camping.
His signature approach creates a fluidity that captures and heightens the emotional experience of being in the Canadian landscape. Driscoll’s background in abstract colour field painting provides an understanding and adeptness in balancing realistic colours and those more reflective of an emotional response to his environment. His immersive installations and exhibitions in galleries, museums and public spaces over the last decade demonstrate Driscoll’s ingenuity as well as his ability to work on an expansive and mesmerizing scale.
Steve Driscoll was born in Oakville, Ontario in 1980. He received his BFA from OCAD University in 2002. Recent museum exhibitions include: I closed my eyes but the light was still there, at the Tom Thomson Art Gallery (2020) and Size Matters, at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (2017). His work is included in numerous museum, corporate and bank collections in Canada. Driscoll has produced several corporate and public commissions, including CIBC SQUARE and Manulife’s headquarters in Toronto.