Stephen Florimbi is a consummate and persistent student of painting. He was trained in traditional methods of oil painting and drawing at the University of New Hampshire by professors, Craig Hood and Grant Drumheller. Their encouragement supported the development of his own expressive style and sparked his enduring exploration of the painting process.
Born in Philadelphia, he moved to Madrid Spain at the age of six where he was introduced to the works of masters in the Prado Museum. He recalls being deeply moved by the raw emotion conveyed in the works of Francisco Goya, and still considers Goya one of his primary influences.
In college, Stephen studied drawing, painting, sculpture and woodworking, along with his main course of study, resource economics. In the summers he worked as a carpenter building timber-frame houses as well as doing field and lab work for the university forestry department. After graduating cum laude in 1989, he designed and built a small wooden boat in his back yard as a “sculptural challenge”. This was the seed that launched his wooden boatbuilding career, and ultimately culminated in his position as the general manager of the world renowned wooden boatbuilding yard, Rockport Marine (rockportmarine.com). The boats he has built and restored, sail the globe.
Stephen is currently a dedicated full time professional artist. His growth as a painter parallels his work as a builder. His paintings have been exhibited in Midcoast Maine, Connecticut, New York City, and Singapore. His work graces the cover of a rock album as well as the back cover of Wilton Magazine. He has also been featured in Yankee Magazine for the renovation of his 1840s home where his paintings feature prominently. In September 2024 he was awarded honorable mention at the Ogunquit, Perkins Cove Plein Air Festival. This year he has been invited to participate in two, juried plein air events, had his painting, Coming and Going, chosen to be the poster for the Maine Boats and Homes show on the Rockland waterfront, and he was awarded a prize for his painting Queen of Peace at the Oqunquit, Perkins Cove Plein Air festival.
Stephen finds further connection through athletic endeavors such as, cycling, trail running, and hiking with his wife and dog. He recently picked up rock’n roll drumming.
Statement
I paint from direct observation, taking my easel out during all seasons—into the woods, along the coast of Maine, across the country. Working in oils, I enjoy distilling complex layers of color and shape to create a sense of place. I’m keen to notice what I’m drawn to–looking outward as a way of seeing inward.
I’m compelled to create in this direct way because it connects me to nature, to my community. It reminds me that I am in and of this beautiful world.
Stephen Florimbi
