It’s all about the Feeling

Sandgate is a small coastal town on Brisbane’s northern outskirts in Queensland. It was here that artist Steve Cardno grew up and developed a love for the sea – a passion which years later manifested itself in his beautiful seascapes and environmental art of coastal Queensland. Steve’s interest in art began from a young age. ‘I remember when I was about 10 yrs old, my parents enrolled me in art lessons with a talented old local artist named Harold Shute. His home studio was stacked with half-finished canvases, easels, and the smell of oil paints and linseed oil.’ Steve recalls how his early mentor Shute’s passion for art rubbed off on him from that early age. ‘I Steve’s love for the sea and coastal areas extends to the whole ocean environment as well. ‘I love the feeling one gets from coastal areas and the beach – the smell of salty water in the breeze, the ever-changing moods of the sea, and the fresh clean air and colours of the water. Perhaps only those who share a love for the ocean can understand this special sensation. This feeling is the essence of what I like to capture in my art – and to bring that feeling into a home or office - so that although you may not be able to be there in the real place at that moment you can remember a special time or create that emotion. Connecting with the feeling and emotion of a scene and to appreciate its beauty is to me much more important than the details of its portrayal.’