Hanks Home Page

Steve Hanks, whose paintings sensitively portray women and children, spent his childhood on the coast of California. His inspiration to paint developed in his late teens, after his family moved from Venture County to New Mexico. Away from the ocean and his friends, Steve found comfort in drawing and painting. After graduating from high school, Hanks entered the University of Califorina at Berkeley in the 1960s. Later, he attented the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and graduated from the Califorina Collage of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.

In 1973, Hanks began publishing a few of his originals as stone lithographs, posters, and limited edition prints.

Today, Steve Hanks continues to paint numerous, beautiful works that reflect a mastery of form and an intricate involvement with light. Highly detailed and realistic, his watercolors urge the viewer to become part of the creative process. Mr. Hanks is passionate about life, passionate about art. "I try to capture a certain introspective solitude in my figures," he comments, "and deal with a vulnerability that all of us, sometimes, feel."

Steve Hanks has won many awards and honors. U.S. Art ranked Hanks among America's top artists from 1994 to 1996, an honor confirmed in the results of dealer surveys. More than 170 of his paintings are included in his book, Poised Between Heartbeats, which has won accolades from critics and collectors.