For more than 27 years, Steve Shaw inspired creativity as an art teacher, guiding students—many with dyslexia—toward finding their own voice through art. His classroom was a place of patience, encouragement, and exploration, where the creative process mattered as much as the finished work. In 2025, Steve retired from teaching to embark on the next chapter of his life: dedicating himself fully to his own artistic journey.

 

Before teaching, Steve spent seven years in Key West, where he held a U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license and navigated the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys. That deep connection to the sea never left him, and today, much of his work reflects the beauty, movement, and life of the coast—saltwater game fish, expansive seascapes, and the shifting colors of the horizon. His paintings invite viewers to pause and feel the same sense of wonder he experienced at the helm.

In recent years, Steve has also developed a daily mandala drawing practice as a form of mindfulness. These intricate, meditative works balance his bold, coastal canvases, offering a quiet counterpoint to the energy of the sea. Each mandala is both a visual meditation and a reminder of the importance of presence, patience, and process in art and life.

 

Now working full-time from his Georgia studio, Steve continues to explore the interplay between nature, memory, and imagination. His mission is to create art that resonates—pieces that feel like personal discoveries, whether they hang in a beachside home, a city loft, or a quiet reading nook. Through each brushstroke and pen line, he shares not just what he sees, but what he has lived.