Sally Steele
Hoosier Artist

Studies show that Nashville tourists are reluctant to climb a set of stairs to see what treasures await them on the second floor. But those who do venture behind Long John Silver's and walk up a flight of wooden steps to the studio/gallery of Sally Steele will most certainly consider the effort worthwhile.

There they will find scores of paintings displayed from floor to cathedral ceiling in an airy room with large windows along the north wall. Representational water color and oil paintings of varied subjects including seascapes. boats. flower details~ lighthouses and water lilies offer something for everyone. The strong compositions reveal many years of experience and dedication.

Sally Steele's favorite subjects are immediately apparent. "The sea is my favorite subject," she writes in her artist statement. "It's many moods, movements, sounds and smells awaken all the senses….Portraits are next. Capturing the personality and a good facsimile of the model is a true challenge that I enjoy. Landscapes are the hardest for me. I see too many shapes, colors, and lights, so I simplify the surrounding areas and dramatize the center of interest with multi-colors, strong contrast and varied brush strokes to send my message to the viewer."

Born in Bloomington, Sally (Cummings) Steele attended University High School. Her father, a Belmont native, designed and carved limestone monuments. A fascination with his craft soon inspired young Sally to begin her own creative experimentation. She remembers drawing on grocery sacks with crayons which were heated on the potbelly stove to melt the colors together. Several years later a Junior High School teacher, Fred Mills, suggested that she try using oil paints.

After high school, Sally married Richard Steele and raised a family. Somehow she found time to regularly engage her artistic pursuits after her four children went to sleep each night. During the 1960s the Steeles lived in an Indianapolis neighborhood "that was really interested in art." she recalls. "A group of us had local teachers come and teach." Later Mrs. Steele took classes at Lawrence High School and the Indianapolis Art League. She also organized art workshops through the Northeast Pallet Club.

Sally Steele's teachers have been as varied as her subject preferences. Marie Thompson and Illona Royce Smith both influenced her portraiture technique and Clay Kent, originally from Brazil, Indiana, increased her already intense interest in painting depictions of the ocean and of coastal scenery. "When he (Mr. Kent) put paint on canvas, it was just magic." Mrs. Steele maintains. She attended numerous workshops with Mr. Kent, traveling to Ireland, Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Monhegan Island, Maine. The Steeles continue to vacation on Monhegan Island, where Richard likes to fish while his wife paints.

Recently, Mrs. Steele enrolled in a workshop with Greg Kruetz. "He teaches a minimum pallet using the three primary colors and black and white," Mrs. Steele explains. "It's very interesting to try those five colors because you get a very different feel to the paintings and they have a unity of color." Sally Steele also has been encouraged by local artist and instructor Kaye Pool for many years. "She's been a great inspiration ever since I met her."

Sally Steele began exhibiting in galleries and juried exhibitions beginning in 1980 and has enjoyed much success. She is especially proud of her acceptance into the International Society of Marine Painters. Her painting of a seagull was featured in an exhibition at the largest Mariners Museum in the United States, the Mariners Museum of Newport News, Virginia.

Mrs. Steele finished a prestigious solo exhibition at the Indianapolis Columbia Club in June of 2000. This past spring she was also awarded the Jury Prize of Distinction for a painting titled "Passage" in the 68th Annual Exhibition of the Indiana Artists Club. Her increasing recognition has clearly been the result of a lifetime of hard work.

In her Brown County studio, Sally Steele paints every day using an easel set up in front of the north window. "Usually I paint for a few hours at a time. Once I get momentum going I like to keep at it but my eyes get dry from not blinking and I take a break and do something else for a while. In all I paint about seven hours a day."

Being in the studio cuts down on the amount of time she is able to paint on location. "I am so excited about the Plein Air painters and their group (Plein Air Association) and what they're doing." she exclaims. "Working on location is the best way to paint. You not only see what you're painting but you get the essence, the feeling and atmosphere of the area."

The next time you're in Nashville, join the elite minority willing to make the short climb to Sally Steele's studio at 173 South Van Buren Street. You'll be glad you did.

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