I have meet so many wonderful and interesting artists during this iPad and iPhone series, meeting Steve John is no exception. How unusual, he mentioned that his story was similar to Jonathan Grauel’s, who also picked up digital art, due to an injury. Steve John’s art is amazing. I was blown away by his ability to create such masterpieces on the iPhone. I like Steve, believe this is only the beginning for the new digital art of the 21st century and it’s many possibilities. You can follow Steve on Twitter @FromMyStudio Please enjoy talented artist and guest blogger, Steve John.
I’m a Visual Artist currently residing in the City of Bath in the UK. I’m not originally from here and have spent my adult life moving around- Brighton, Birmingham, Bristol, Hamburg, Ibiza, London, Leeds and L.A. Changing my environment keeps me bright! My background is in Fine Art & before 2008 I had never wanted or attempted to create any artwork on a computer or anything like that. I only started working digitally following a serious nerve injury to my arm which happened around the same time Apples app store opened. The injury meant I could no longer paint as I had done for many years and so I starter to dabble with painting apps such as Brushes on my iPod touch. It was a way to keep playing about with color and the smaller movements meant it didn’t cause any pain to my arm. Wondering at the time how the images would look on the wall I decided to get some archival quality test prints done. The quality was that good I decided to throw all of my creative energy into working on and learning how to use this new Digital Canvas; and for Christmas 2008 I treated myself to an iPhone 3G on which I started taking Photos 24/7/365 as well as continuing to create colorful abstract digital paintings.
I’ve stuck with the iPhone as my digital device of choice over the last 3 years mainly because of it’s camera, although I did come close to also using an iPad! When its release was announced it was like a dream come true as I had worked for 15 years in A5 sketchbooks and couldn’t believe the iPad was going to be this same familiar size. I did create some work on it and was initially blown away, then suddenly discovered things I didn’t like and the novelty wore off. I think if the iPad had been smaller at say 7″ I may have been hooked! Also prior to the iPads release I had spent two years working solidly on the small screen of my Phone and felt confident using a wide range of iPhone apps. Moreover I enjoy having my phone in my pocket whilst out and about and not having any baggage- surely the perfect solution for any aspiring Digital Hobo.
My work can be split into 3 areas~ Photographic, Digital Paintings and iPhoneMods.
The photography I take may have minimal edits such as cropping and contrast and maybe a filter or two 
The Digital Paintings are created using either ‘Paintbook’ or the “Brushes” application and until recently I had always used my fingers. I had been reluctant to use a stylus but after years of using my index finger as a paintbrush it has gone partially numb with pins & needles & other pains in my hand! so I now use an ‘Alupen’ from ‘Just Mobile’. I do still use my fingers as I love the fact that I feel more connected using my fingers on a screen than I did when I used to use paintbrushes and paint on canvas! In a strange way I am now moving around a purer form of light which is satisfying, as Color has always been my drug of choice.
The iPhoneMods are more heavily modified images; quite often composites of a photo and a digital painting. A Word-Photo project ‘AlphaDigital’ I completed over the Summer took full advantage of the effects now possible using a variety of different apps. The Word-Photos I’ll be creating from now on will have a real time workflow using words taken from a latest news event or a trending topic on twitter and will be finished while out & about which feels more in step with the way the technology works.
The best of my work is now displayed and for sale at FromMyStudio.co.uk which I run mainly from my phone. I sell Photo-prints of all my work and Signed Limited Edition prints of select Artworks on request. An exciting new direction I’m taking my work in is to sell Digital Downloads for £1 each. The images below are from a selection that I’m offering as high resolution (2560×1440 pixels) downloads to be used as Screen-Art on desktops/monitors or maybe in the near future on TV’s, fridges or other non traditional surfaces. Friends who have tried them on their screens love the fact that they can interact with the screen-art by moving their desktop icons around the image which is exactly how the idea came about; as a way to utilise the desktop screen space in a fun and visually interesting way. Whilst offering them as Digital Downloads feels more in line with the way they are created and places them in the 21st Century rather than the 20th!
Awesome! Thnx for sharing ((Happy Holidays))