CV
Education:
America Academy of Art 1979-1981
Oil painter Instructor – Eugene Hall
Watercolor Instructor – Irving Shapiro
Workshop:
Elizabeth Tolley - Oil
Thomas W. Schaller Madeline Island School of Arts– Watercolor
Kathie Odom: Fontaine de Vaucluse, France
Daniel Keys: Scottsdale, AZ
Mark Boedges: Scottsdale, AZ
Richie Carter – Scottsdale, AZ
Matt Ryder – Scottsdale, AZ
Vanessa Rothe – Making the Leap Normandy, France
Membership:
Oil Painters of America
National Watercolor Society
Significant Achievements
2017
Faculty of Watercolor and Oil Painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art
Best in Show at Cedarburg Plein Air – First watercolor selected. Now in the Permanent collection of the Cedarburg Art Museum.
2018
Faculty of Watercolor and Oil Painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art
Third Place for “Lilac in Spring” oil Cedarburg Plein Air
2019
Faculty of Watercolor and Oil Painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art
2020
Faculty of Watercolor and Oil Painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art
Artist in Resident for the Plein Air Painters of Chicago
Judge for the Prairie Plein Air Event – Schaumburg, IL
2021
Faculty of Watercolor and Oil Painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art
Artist in Resident for the Plein Air Painters of Chicago
Plein Air South Faculty – Apalachicola, FL
2022
Faculty of Watercolor and Oil Painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art
Plein Air South Faculty – Apalachicola, FL
2nd Place Evanston, IL Plein Air Event
2023
Faculty of Watercolor and Oil Painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art
2nd Place award in Cedarburg Plein Air
2nd Place award for the Prairie Plein Air Event- Schaumburg, IL
Invitational – Winter Park, Florida
Winner of Best Landscape – OPA – Curated Roger Dale Brown
OPA National entry for “David Phlox”
Won 2nd Place Wet Paint Competition at the OPA National Conference for “Palms Living with Grace”
Gold Medal and Artists Choice Award at the Palette and Chisel’s Members Show.
2024
Faculty of Watercolor and Oil Painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art
Honorable Mention Cedarburg Plein Air
OPA National Show for “Whispers of the Forest” Wichita, KS
OPA Wet Paint Competition Winner for “Stories Alive at Chisholm Creek”
OPA Eastern Region “Spring Stream”
2nd Place Quick Paint – Bluff Strokes Plein Air Event, Dubuque, IA
Invitational – Cashiers, NC.
Won Artist Choice - Cashiers, NC
Invitational – Winter Park, Florida
Judge for the St. Charles, IL Plein Air Art festival
Taught workshop along with Angela Fehr
Taught workshop along with Rachel Dowd
2025
Faculty of Watercolor and Oil Painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art
Invitational - Key Largo, FL
Plein Air South Faculty – Apalachicola, FL
Judge for the Indiana Artist Club 2025 show
Judge for the St. Charles Art festival
Judge and Workshop Instructor for Paint Dexter, MI
Taught workshop along with Angela Fehr
Testimonials
“Thank you,
that was so nice of you to say.”
Fred P.
”Yesterday, I competed an excellent set of classes led by Steve Puttrich. Each class was well planned and had a logical progression that resulted in improvement for myself and the class. Steve encouraged us and allowed the freedom for self expression. But his biggest asset is his ability to relate the mental aspects of painting. One example; painting with ‘confident’ strokes. Thanks for the time that went much too quickly.”
Christine H.
"Steve is a very good artist and understands the challenges of producing beautiful and inspiring art. He stresses to his students the importance of choosing early on a focus that inspires the viewer, working on strong composition and color. He is a very kind and giving teacher. I believe he is primarily a watercolor artist and approaches oil painting much like a watercolorist. That said, his oil paintings are just as beautiful as his watercolors."
Karen G.
"His art work in oils and watercolors are exceptional. His teaching style is calm, encouraging and clear. He covers basic principles of painting while motivating each student's personal style. Looking forward to more classes and workshops with this great teacher!!!"
Karen B.
"Positive, attentive, personable, knowledgeable, technically skilled in both watercolor and oil paints, as well as always prepared for his weekly lessons. Overall, I highly recommend Steve to every artist I meet."
Carol F.
"Steve is patient, inspiring and very generous with his incredible knowledge. I highly recommend him as an artist and an Instructor."
Jack M.
"Steve is very patient and enthusiastic with helping students and willing to pass on all knowledge to us. I learned Plein Air painting from Steve and will attend more workshops when they are offered"
Tara R.
"I took two painting classes with Steve, enjoyed both. Steve is able to explain the process. He shares his knowledge and experience with various techniques. A talented artist and a great teacher, Steve is fully present while teaching- makes time for each student and has a joyful spirit. Highly recommend!"
Christel L.
"Always encouraging with contagious love for drawing and painting, watercolor acrylics or oil. He will never make you feel intimated if you are a beginner or redirect you if you are set in your ways and only need support."
Tom F.
"Steve taught at a very good pace. He challenged all of the students to complete one or more paintings during each class; even the first class. Steve is a very talented artist and he provides wonderful demonstrations during each class that emphases a different painting technique. I learned a lot and look forward to participating in another of Steve's classes."
Becky K.
"He gives excellent instruction and encouragement for all levels."
Bo H.
"Steve is so deeply passionate about his craft, which in and of itself is invigorating and motivational. I've know him for more than fifteen years and learned much from him about a broad range of topics in that time. But I've been blessed with the opportunity to sit with brush in hand for formal lessons on several occasions in the past couple years. I'm a career-long digital creative and comfortable with hand illustration and other analog media, but paint was something I'd not done in decades before joining Steve for a class at the Palette & Chisel – Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago. Perhaps most importantly, Steve made me feel completely at ease and genuinely helped me find a passion for painting I didn't realize I had. In all sincerity, this would have remained dormant for another several decades if not for that first lesson (i.e., tipping point) with Steve. I highly recommend his lessons for my fellow beginners and Steve's fellow masters alike."
Comments from workshops and classes
“Steve is an excellent teacher/coach, as well as an outstanding artist. I learned a great deal from this workshop with him. I sincerely hope that he is invited back again as I would enjoy and further my skills with another class with him.”
“Steve is an excellent artist and instructor. He is well prepared and encouraging.”
“Steve Puttrich was the best instructor I could have imagined! He was fantastic!”
“Steve was a very generous instructor, answered group and individual needs. Great demos and explanations about his techniques.”
“This workshop opened up a whole new world of watercolor to me.”
Artist Statement
I believe painting is more than capturing what we see—it’s about expressing what we feel and sharing what moves us. For me, painting is a way to connect, to listen, and to speak—without needing words.
I’m drawn to moments shaped by light, emotion, and story. Whether I’m standing beside a quiet stream, watching light pour through trees, or studying the curve of a face, I look for what’s timeless in a fleeting moment. My work blends strong design with a deep respect for the subject—whether that’s a landscape, a portrait, or a narrative scene.
I paint with a heart for beauty, a hand trained by years of study, and a soul committed to giving back what I’ve been given. My background in architectural and engineering illustration gave me discipline; nature gave me awe; and faith gives my work meaning. I want my paintings to reflect gratitude—for light, life, and the gift of being present to it all.
When I paint, I’m not just trying to make something beautiful—I’m trying to make something true. Something that speaks, quietly but clearly, to the viewer. Something that invites them to slow down, take a breath, and feel something real.
This is why I paint. This is why I teach. And this is why I’ll keep showing up—brush in hand, eyes open—ready to be surprised by what grace reveals.
My 'Why' Story
This photo captures what I call a “Norman Rockwell moment.” It’s me doing what I love—painting in plein air, or “open air.” On this particular spring afternoon, my wife Bobbie, our dear friend Valerie, and I had set up our easels near a church and schoolyard in Schaumburg.
Halfway through the session, the school bell rang, and before we knew it, dozens of curious children spilled out onto the yard and swarmed around us. True to form, they began asking questions—good ones.
“What are you doing?”
“Can I do that?”
“How long did that take you?”
But one question stopped me cold:
“Why do you paint?”
You could have knocked me over with a feather.
I think I mumbled something like, “To understand light,” or “To see better.” Bobbie, just a few yards away, quietly captured the whole moment with her camera.
That question still echoes. It reminds me of something Coach John Wooden once said:
“The person who knows how will always have a job. The person who knows why will be his boss.”
In art—and in life—it helps to know both.
The how of painting is learnable. The why takes a lifetime to discover.
So, why do I paint?
Art, for me, is about connection.
As Steve Jobs put it, “Creativity is just connecting things.” I paint to connect with the moment, with place, with people. I paint to share experiences, to celebrate light, and to give back—offering my work as an act of gratitude to the Creator who gave me the gift to begin with.
And perhaps, to leave something beautiful behind that might outlast me.
After 35 years as an artist, designer, architectural illustrator, and vice president of marketing for a global engineering firm, I’ve come home to what matters most: painting full-time, teaching others, and doing life with my artist-wife, Bobbie.
Teaching may be my calling, but painting—painting is my joy.
Artist Biography
Steve Puttrich is a nationally recognized fine artist, instructor, and writer whose work reflects a deep love for nature, design, and the timeless beauty of light. With a background in architectural and engineering illustration, Steve brings a strong sense of structure and clarity to his compositions, while infusing each painting with emotional depth and story.
His style blends representational realism with impressionistic sensitivity, allowing viewers to experience the soul of a scene—not just its surface. Whether painting plein air or in the studio, Steve focuses on moments that speak to the heart—quiet rivers, glowing trees, faces full of character, and scenes that feel both grounded and transcendent.
Steve spent over 35 years working as a corporate artist and design director for major international projects before turning fully to fine art. Today, he teaches workshops across the country and mentors artists looking to strengthen their vision, design, and storytelling. His work has won numerous awards and has been exhibited nationally, appreciated for its balance of technique, emotion, and meaning.
At the core of Steve’s practice is a desire to connect—artist to viewer, teacher to student, soul to scene. His paintings are both a personal act of gratitude and a visual offering, inviting others to pause, reflect, and see the world with fresh eyes.
Media
At the 2017 Brush with Nature event held at Emily Oaks Nature Center, WGN TV's Sean Lewis interviewed me during the painting of my Milkweed Painting. Here's the two minute edited story.