Impassioned Expressionism: An Interview with the Artist Stephen B. Whatley
This week, the artist Stephen B. Whatley visits The Renaissance Garden Guy. In this remarkable interview,the London-based Expressionist master discusses, among other things, the far-reaching impact of his famous, vividly triumphant works, and the miraculous inspiration and deeply personal passion that serve as their impetus.
By John G. Stamos
Say what you will about the shortcomings and perceived peccadillos of a certain social media platform (“X” marks the spot, girls and boys), it really delivers when it comes to putting people in touch with one another. Common interests among users from far-flung scatterings around the globe are the initial sparks of camaraderie, and, thanks to the sagacity of a remarkably effective (but admittedly not 100% infallible) algorithm, new digital colonies of citizenry in pursuit of information (and photos – there are always the pics, folks – can’t forget the pics) about and of shared passions and interests are formed, and great expanses – in terms of not only geography, but vocation, personal history, etc. – are bridged in a microsecond. And such connections, once made, can be profound.
It was in this way that I was introduced to the renowned Expressionist painter, Stephen B. Whatley, and evidently, I’d been living under a rock…
It took my own interest in the fine and decorative arts, my own eye (which, I’ve got to admit is pretty damned good), and my predilection for random, yet extensive, X excursions, to set me on an Android-guided path of discovery with respect to this master’s work. I saw examples of his oeuvre while cruising X, and was blown away. These works managed to be simultaneously ethereal and immensely – and quite acutely – powerful. Each painting was suffused with what I can only describe as a mystical light, as if its subject – not that subject’s material rendering, but its actual archetypal manifestation – what the artist had intended it to represent – was engaging in a miraculous self-incandescence and an uncanny flow of articulated movement. The subjects of Stephen B. Whatley’s paintings lived and breathed and shone with luminous triumph. Whether representations of human beings, or of architecture, the artist’s subject matter pulsed with inner light and burst from the surface of the work with indomitable vitality.
Mr. Whatley describes himself as an Expressionist painter, and indeed, his oil paintings fit beautifully within the intrepid, almost extra-sensory boundaries of this modernist school’s particular assemblage of defining propensities. (Here, I must state that although Expressionism is a comparatively new school of painting, the style and the hallmarks of this particular school, as well as the ideology behind it, have existed for centuries. El Greco, painting in the 16th and early 17th centuries, was an Expressionist before the term had ever been coined.) But as surely as Stephen B. Whatley’s paintings are true Expressionist works, they’re also something else… something much, much more…
An easy (but insufficient) way for me to attribute the transcendent “more” of the artist’s paintings would be to reference a comparison I’ve privately made of them to another school of painting – a much, much older school. Namely, the Venetian School. Like the venerable Venetians – Titian, Tintoretto, and Guardi (who was among the very last of them), for example – Stephen B. Whatley uses bursts of vibrant color to inform his works. But unlike those of the Venetians, Whatley’s works are unencumbered by the strictures of line, and are not tethered to concrete representations or interpretations of the material essence of his subject matter (as is the case with the techniques associated with the Venetian Old Masters). It is this difference that brings me to the “more” of Stephen B. Whatley’s work – the “more” that allows it to transcend the boundaries of its extant Expressionism foundations, as well as the boundaries of its comparison to any other school or style of painting, the Venetians or otherwise. The “more” of Whatley’s work pertains to that miraculous suffusion of light and movement and vitality and extra-ness of his subjects. As wondrously skilled and as beautifully trained as Stephen B. Whatley is as an Expressionist painter, the particular “more” of his work that I’ve been attempting to describe, you’ll shortly see, comes from somewhere else… somewhere beyond the training, beyond the ideology…
So, I had to know more about these works, and immediately wanted to see more like them, and I had to know more about the genius behind them, Stephen B. Whatley. So, naturally, right there on X, I followed him. And was I ever in for a surprise…
Which brings me back to the “living under a rock” thing. I mean, how did I not know about Stephen B. Whatley?
Once I started following him on X, I quickly discovered that the London-based artist, and his brilliant oil paintings and illustrations, have been in the public eye on a global level for years. In addition to the publishing of his portrait of President Barack Obama in TIME Magazine, his work has been published in press features in The New York Times, The Guardian, Metro London, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, and USA Today, to name just a few. His major commissions include astounding architectural paintings for such public institutions as the BBC, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London. His paintings hang in private collections all over the world, and in such public collections as BBC Heritage, Historic Royal Palaces (the custodial charitable organization charged with the caretaking and administration of six world-famous palaces, including the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, and Kensington Palace), the London Transport Museum, the Royal Collection of His Majesty King Charles III, Taylor Woodrow, The Carrollton School of The Sacred Heart (in the United States), and Westminster Cathedral. His portraiture is world-famous, and his many sitters include the actors Dame Judi Dench, Dame Siân Phillips, Susan Hampshire, OBE, CBE, Elizabeth Dawn, MBE, Dame Barbara Windsor, Dame Julie Walters, Sir Ian McKellen, Alec McCowen, plus TV presenter and Director of Flying TV, Sarah Greene, comedian and singer Brian Conley, and many, many more. In 2004, Stephen B. Whatley was presented to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh in recognition of his remarkable work.
Presently, the artist is listed in David Buckman’s dictionary, Artists in Britain Since 1945, and he’s discussed his work over the last several years in interviews with BBC London, BBC Radio Suffolk, and LBC Radio. His commissioned tribute to the iconic early Tudor Period musician, John Blanke, was featured (with credit) in the television series Stories from the National Portrait Gallery, broadcast on Sky Arts on July 11, 2023.
(Like I said, I’ve been living under a rock… )
Born in London in 1965, Stephen B. Whatley’s artistic trajectory began at a very early age (he retains drawing books from his childhood labeled “Stephen – Age 6”). His creative abilities and talent were recognized at this time by, among others, his parents. His father, himself a talented draftsman and cartoonist, fashioned little sketchbooks for him with which to indulge his creative impulses, and Stephen would regularly accompany him to the countryside where they would each draw images of the rural scenes they encountered there. In 1981, at the age of sixteen, Stephen experienced the heart-wrenching loss of his mother to an automobile accident. This tragedy would ultimately remand nearly the entirety of his passion and drive to the creation of art.
The artist’s educational pedigree is sterling. He attended the Ipswich School of Art from 1981 – 1983, where he studied General Art and Design in all of its forms and in all media, and received a Design and Technology Education Council diploma. He then attended the Norwich School of Art from 1983 – 1986, where he studied Fine Art – specifically Painting – and received a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree. Finally, he graduated from the University of London’s Institute of Education with a Postgraduate Certificate of Education. As if this impressive chain of academic accreditation wasn’t enough to sufficiently forge the artist’s style and lay the foundation for his ongoing work, Whatley received invaluable (and treasured) guidance and tutelage from the late artist, Dennis Creffield (1931-2018), who in turn was a student of the renowned Expressionist painter, David Bomberg (1890-1957). Today, the artist credits the additional pedigree of this Expressionist lineage as an invaluable influence on both his style and his technique.
An undeniable, fundamental component of Stephen B. Whatley’s creative gestalt is the place in his personal history, and in his current life, that his religious faith has occupied, and continues to occupy. A deeply religious Christian, and a Catholic since 2011, the artist has continued to execute religious-themed works for a huge number of collectors worldwide. But the inspiration and connection to the divine that Whatley derives from his profound Christian faith manifests itself not only in his religious works, it informs and empowers all his works. That “more” quality I describe that’s so powerfully evident in his works? You’ll read shortly that his faith is its principal inspiration, guiding hand, and, ultimately, its architect. The artist, though talented and skilled beyond description, is only too aware of the effects of the Divine on his creative process and the dynamics of his execution.
And, speaking of the dynamics of his execution… a particular vein of Stephen B. Whatley’s oeuvre involves a painting proclivity that begs at least a brief mention of an undeniable confluence of styles, painting schools, and individual artists: Whatley is known for setting up an easel outdoors, right in front of a particular architectural scene or cityscape element, and rendering it en plein air. Often in a matter of only a day or two. Or even in a matter of hours. Some of his most famous works, as you’ll read in the interview that follows, have been executed in this fashion. Painting en plein air is certainly a well-known Expressionist School conceit. A veduta (pl. vedute) is a painting of a particular architectural or cityscape vista, and artists executing these types of works are known as vedutisti. Francesco Guardi, one of the last of the Venetian School painters, is among the most famous of the vedutisti. And another Venetian master, Jacopo Robusti, known famously as Tintoretto, executed his masterpieces with such energy and with such vibrancy of color, and so quickly (as our Mr. Whatley does), that he was also known by yet another name: Il Furioso (“the Furious”). And of course, Doménikos Theotokópoulos (known famously as El Greco), that most famous of proto-Expressionists, created religious-themed works (not necessarily en plein air or vedute) that seemed to pulse with a mysterious light source that so many scholars through the centuries have maintained could only be Divine in origin. When I think of the “more” quality of Stephen B. Whatley’s work, it is impossible for me not to believe that, in what might be considered artistically improbable fashion, an incorporation of an Expressionist/Vedutisti/Venetian/Guardiesque/Il Furioso/El Greco amalgam exists therein, but that work still manages to undeniably remain entirely and singularly Stephen B. Whatley. I see in Mr. Whatley’s work a case of esprit de corps among diverse and formidable units, with a glittering New Republic born as a result. I see a quintessential, radiant drama of a gleaming new whole existing as something far, far greater than the sum of its nevertheless glorious parts playing out in every Stephen B. Whatley painting. This is the only living artist I know that pulls this off so seamlessly and so impassionedly. This guy’s the goods, art lovers. His work makes it so.
So, the X connection was made between the prodigiously talented Stephen B. Whatley and me, and as a result, I discovered, in addition to his remarkable oeuvre and renown, that he is a true gentleman, through and through. I learned immediately that he’s as entirely gracious, kindhearted, and affable as he is talented. When I expressed to him my interest in interviewing him for The RGG, he enthusiastically agreed. This refreshingly humble (and unequivocally brilliant and inspired) creative dynamo, despite his world-renown, remains entirely accessible, with his feet planted firmly on the ground, and his heart and soul deeply rooted in his religious faith.
Stephen B. Whatley sat down with me – he, in his home and studio in London, and me, stateside, right here in RGG headquarters – and we chatted across the Atlantic. The following interview transcript captures our conversation word for word.
JS: My many thanks, Stephen, for making the time for me and for RGG loyalists and art lovers far and wide. It’s an honor to discuss your work with you. I know that you’re endlessly busy, so my first question is simply one of logistics: How on Earth do you make time for things like interviews, breakfast, sleep… ?
SBW: You are so welcome, John. I have been so touched by your sensitive appreciation of my art, through our warm connection on Twitter (X.com). I don’t think I am much different from everyone else in terms of managing time; in fact, I am quite disciplined – especially since, like most of us, I juggle a lot. Life is a challenge and dynamic for everyone, and I think we all make adjustments to what comes our way – often by surprise.
JS: Ok, so your time management skills are almost, but not quite, on par with your artistic skills. I had to get that one out of the way. But your artistic skills, of course, are why I’m really here. Let’s get this interview rolling with a discussion of some famous folks. Really famous folks. As in world-famous. You’ve met a bunch of them in your own trajectory as a world-famous painter yourself. And your list of portrait sitters reads like the entertainment industry’s international directory of Who’s Who listings. First, tell me about the experience of your being presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. How did this come about? When did it happen?
SBW: I was privileged to be invited to a reception in the Banqueting Hall at the Tower of London in honor of HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in June 2004. Specifically, this was a gathering of about 300 people – designers, architects among them – involved in refurbishments around the Tower of London that had been completed that year.
In 2000, I was commissioned to create a series of 30 paintings charting the history of the Royal fortress in my own distinctive vibrant way. These paintings are reproduced on steel vitreous enamel panels that line the main pedestrian walkway to the Tower from Tower Hill Station – forming a permanent public art exhibit, on show since 2001.
When I was introduced to Her Majesty, dressed in a lemon-yellow hat and coat and customary white gloves, I immediately felt a peaceful aura of Christian goodness as she approached me, and was touched by a firm handshake. The Banqueting Hall was hung with all my original oil paintings within the commission, and we were positioned close to one of my paintings of the Crown Jewels.
It is well known that Queen Elizabeth had a delightful sense of humor, and as I told her a little about the momentous commission, I recounted how I had managed to capture the details and sensations of the Royal regalia. I remember our conversation perfectly:
Stephen: “ …in fact, Your Majesty, in order to paint the Crown Jewels, I was locked in the Jewel House!”
Queen Elizabeth (looking up at me – she was quite petite, I am quite tall – smiling, with a twinkle in her eye): “Locked in ??!”
Stephen: “Yes, for a week! “
Queen Elizabeth (beaming with delight): “For a week ??!”
I then briefly explained that the Crown Jewels can be viewed by the visiting public daily from a slow-moving conveyor belt. I had asked the Director of the Tower of London if there would be an opportunity for me to have access to study the jewels, making drawings and notes, in the Jewel House for an hour every morning for a week, prior to the opening to the public at 9 am.
Queen Elizabeth smiled with fascination, moved on to meet other guests – then paused and looking over her shoulder, smiled and exclaimed quietly, “I’m pleased they let you out!”
It is a treasured memory.
JS: Your work hangs in the Royal Collection of His Majesty King Charles III. Please do dish!
SBW: In 1999, I was commissioned jointly by the Royal Collection Trust and the London Transport Museum to paint two paintings of Buckingham Palace, to promote the opening of the State Apartments.
I was invited to the palace and shown, by the then director of The Royal Collection, Sir Hugh Roberts, two interior locations that they suggested I paint – namely The Music Room and the Grand Staircase – and given a choice. Awestruck by the majestic view of the sweeping staircase that leads from the throne room, I selected the latter.
I undertook the painting of the Grand Staircase on location at the foot of the stairs, over two days in May, 1999; dates I was told that Queen Elizabeth would not be in residence. It was an amazing experience, inspired by the classic balustrades. It was an atmosphere of palpable silence – like being inside a velvet jewel box; with just the gentle distant sound of the Changing of The Guard, on the pink forecourt outside.
On the second day of painting, through an Expressionistic gesture of my brush, a blob of Prussian blue oil paint went flying over my canvas, landing on the red carpet. I was mortified. I mentioned it to the security guard who metaphorically brushed it aside telling me not to worry. That summer, when I made a visit to the State apartments (the public had walked through this particular area) and I looked down, I was astonished to see that the paint stain was completely gone. Believe me, Prussian blue is enormously stubborn to remove!
I was also requested to paint an exterior view of Buckingham Palace, which I set up and created of the East view from the edge of nearby Green Park; I completed it throughout one day of about 8 hours in June, 1999. The work is titled Changing of The Guard at Buckingham Palace as it captures the morning ceremony of the soldiers in the forecourt, together with gathered crowds watching through the railings. The 40 x 40-inch oil painting hangs today in Buckingham Palace.
In 2007, I wrote to The Royal Collection asking that I might be loaned the oil painting to hang in my London exhibition in Cork Street. They agreed, just asking that I have on display leaflets advertising the Opening of the palace.
When I went to collect the original oil painting from the curator at St James’s Palace, prior to the exhibition, she wanted to tell me that some at the palace were a little concerned when it would be returning, saying “it is very popular ‘high up’ at the Palace if you know what I mean…”
Both paintings – the interior and exterior – were reproduced on posters and advertisements all over the London Underground network and in underground tube trains in both 1999 and 2000. It was truly surreal to see my work everywhere when travelling at that time.
Then in 2002, the exterior view of Buckingham Palace was chosen as an iconic and vibrant cover of the BBC program for The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Concerts in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
JS: Stephen, it seems like literally everyone from the Queens and Kings of sovereign nations to queens and kings of film and television are a part of your professional creative orbit. I mean, Judi Dench? Ian McKellen? Julie Walters? How do you connect with your world-famous clientele, and what’s it like working with them?
SBW: Well, I have always been interested in the acting world – films, TV, and theatre – and in the early 1990s, I decided to send invitations, that included examples of my work, to actors, show business personalities, and entrepreneurs, asking if they would be inspired to sit for me – which many have been. I am naturally humble, but any initial nerves of meeting someone famous soon dissipated; the famous are of course as human as you and I. My overriding concern to was to put them at ease, as this was often their first time for sitting for a portrait.
Not only did Judi Dench sit for her portrait, but she commissioned me to paint her daughter, actress Finty Williams; which was very moving – noticing the distinct likeness between the two generations. Julie Walters was so moved, as she could see I evoked a likeness to her mother. Welsh actress Sian Phillps sat for me beautifully, telling me that she had been painted several times but that I was the only artist who she felt really captured her. She literally jumped up and down with delight when she saw the oil painting.
I went on the make charcoal studies of her cats, and when she was asked in a Daily Mail newspaper interview in 2015 what was her most treasured possession, she declared my charcoal of (her cat) Barnaby; which was touching.
JS: Here’s a question for you regarding stateside domestic affairs… How does Stephen B. Whatley find his portrait of U.S. President Barack Obama published in TIME Magazine? Details, please!!??
SBW: Well, I have always felt drawn to the USA and have developed a deep care and affinity for the nation. Even as a teenager, maybe through my love of classic Hollywood, I would look up at blue summer skies and dream of bigger, wider skies and freedom in America; not finally visiting until 2010. I am blessed that my art is popular there and that my work hangs in many collections in many US states.
In 2008, I was inspired by Barack Obama as the Democrat nominee for President, and, as a UK citizen, “voted with my art” – painting a portrait inspired by a kaleidoscope of recent photographs. TIME selected the painting and published it as one of the most powerful portraits of Obama, showing on the photography site, Flickr.
JS: I’d like to know a bit more about some of your more memorable and important public commissions. The list is stellar. What were your thoughts as you approached and prepared for them? How have their respective famously positive, glowing receptions impacted your confidence? Your career as a professional artist? Your life in general?
SBW: I am very grateful for all interest and work that comes from my art. Without a doubt, the major commissions – for the Tower of London (my permanent art exhibit in London), The Royal Collection (the paintings of Buckingham Palace), and architectural works for BBC Heritage – have certainly raised my profile along the way. Everyone needs bigger breakthroughs along the way, whatever their profession.
These two major Royal commissions were both inspiring and daunting, like preparing to scale a mountain. I completed the 30 paintings for the Tower of London in eight intensive months. I certainly felt relief when I had completed the first work, Henry VIII, which was inspired by drawings that I made directly in front of the original Holbein portrait (“cartoon”) of Henry VIII in the National Portrait Gallery, London. I was on my way up! The entire series of paintings – many painted on location inside and around the Tower of London – was exhilarating and moving. My collectors love the history that comes with owning my art.
JS: Your work has hung in countless solo exhibitions and group shows in some of London’s (and elsewhere) most famous and prestigious galleries. Can you tell me a bit about some of your more memorable exhibitions?
SBW: It is always wonderful to give people the opportunity of viewing an artist’s work in person, and I am grateful for some vibrant exhibitions along the way – often in unique locations. My 1993 exhibition, “Hollywood Gold” – portraits of some of the legendary film actresses of The Golden era – at London’s National theatre, on the South Bank of the River Thames, was a highlight. I had painted the portrait of British actress Barbara Windsor the year before, and her agent was also agent to Hollywood film star of the 1940s, Alice Faye, whom he brought to the Preview! I gave her a personal tour of the exhibit, which featured a tribute to her, as well as a number of her Hollywood friends. Her agent acquired the original portrait.
My exhibition, “Paintings from Prayer,” in 2013, was certainly uniquely located, displayed throughout two chapels in the magnificence of Westminster Cathedral in London. It is my Christian Tribute paintings that seem to increasingly lead the way.
The gallery world is much quieter now – maybe this “demise” is through the dominance of the internet – which is nevertheless a fine window for us all; but I am pleased to have had my eclectic 2007 solo exhibition, “Hollywood Icons to Royal Jewels” held in what was for decades a legendary street of art galleries in London’s Mayfair, Cork Street. So many galleries have now closed along that street.
JS: We’ve briefly discussed this privately, but for me, that discussion merely piqued my interest and left me wanting to hear more of your thoughts on this mystery. Your renown is firmly established among the international art world’s savviest players and collectors. Celebrities – particularly, the most cerebral and cultured among them – are your commissioners and collectors. Globally received media outlets – periodicals, television, radio – know you well and feature your work. For decades, you’ve been a highly sought-after, contemporary Expressionist master. You are the real deal. I joke about myself living under a rock, but my head’s been up my ass for really only part of the time. I just haven’t seen as much of your work as I would have expected at this point, given your abilities and your international renown. How is it that afficionados and collectors here in the U.S. are not anywhere nearly as familiar with your work as one might expect?
SBW: I am so grateful, John, for the compliments you pay me, I can sense you deeply feel in awe of my art, which truly springs from my heart and soul. Maybe the reason you had not come across my work is that in some respects, my art is more subliminally known – through my work on public display every day.
In the “art world,” it is perhaps those with “attitude,” a certain group who have promoted the idea that painting is dead – which I humbly prove is not the case – who have been pushed by the media. Generally, it is such gimmicky “art” that the media has highlighted. I have not been prepared to play what seems to be a vacuous, slick game that gives little light. Also, there is a season for everything – and more simply, we are always discovering – and we can not know everyone or everything immediately. I am delighted that you have discovered me and my art at this time – as are those who believe in real painting.
JS: Alright, Stephen, it’s time we start getting down to the nitty-gritty of what makes a Stephen B. Whatley work a Stephen B. Whatley work. So, let’s back up. All the way back. To the very beginning. Before you had even a hint of an iota of any training whatsoever – from the time that you were very, very young – you were creating. You’d mentioned to me earlier that you still own your drawing books from the age of six. To the best of your memory, were you creating even before that time, and what were you creating?
SBW: Yes, I was always drawing, I needed no encouragement – though I received it from my devoted parents and at school – it was a natural response to what I saw around me. My earliest “scribbles” and doodles were observations from life: my family, animals, houses – much like most children’s first drawings, really. Around the age of 10, I think it became apparent I had some innate talent at recording with pencils what I saw around me. Certainly, at school, it became apparent I had talent that was noticeable to both fellow students and staff.
JS: Your father was a very talented cartoonist and draftsman who, along with your mother, recognized your talent from very early on. On those long-ago trips to the countryside to draw with him, beyond the little sketchbooks he’d fashioned for you, did you receive any particular instruction from your father in terms of technique and execution?
SBW: Yes, my father, James W. Whatley (1940-2024), was a draughtsman who had cartoons published in newspaper columns; whilst he also created a regular political/topical cartoon in the Cambridge Evening News newspaper in the 1970s. I used to love watching him ink in his cartoons. I don’t remember clearly any tips he especially gave to me – he had quite a “sketchy style” in the way he used his pencil, and I see, from my drawing books, that I was influenced by that. He would always look over what I had drawn and be encouraging.
JS: As readers will soon discover, and as anyone who’s experienced your transformative, vibrant paintings at any length already knows, the Divine and the spiritual play an enormous role in not only the execution and resonant power of each of your paintings, but also in your personal life and philosophy, and in your entire gestalt as an artist. In a discussion with Tony Galcius in Christian Miracles, you revealed the circumstances of your mother’s tragic death when you were only sixteen years old. And you’ve mentioned on more than one occasion, and very passionately in “A Tribute to My Mother” in your website that, after your mother’s passing, art and your faith were your twin salvations. From the point of her death, you essentially put your entire heart and soul into your art, and made its creation your all-encompassing passion. Did you, at that time, recognize a link between your creation of a particular work of art, as well as the fundamental nature of art itself, with the Divine? Did art, and all that it encompassed for you then – from its creation to its countless extant forms and manifestations – assume a spirituality all its own? Or did it exist as a means of reconciliation of all that was already in your young heart and mind and soul with the spirituality and teachings of Christianity? Was it a bit of all three – a combination of them?
SBW: When I lost my beautiful young mother, Marjorie J. Whatley (1943-1981), so tragically following an auto accident two weeks after my 16th birthday, I thought I would not survive, and I felt something threatening to die within me. Attending art school certainly proved therapeutic at this traumatic time in my life; and whilst at those schools I was not only creating, but was also battling to find some deeper meaning to life – why things happened – and searching for a spiritual depth and a faith that I did not clearly have then. I always had a natural facility to record realistically, but early on, that would be a means to symbolizing what I had in mind; not a release of expression physically and emotionally. I wanted to make statements about my despair and grief, often through self-portraits. That was in the 1980s when my grief was raw. Now I seek to work towards light, not darkness.
JS: The spiritual component of your work is fascinating to me – I can’t help but attribute the “more” quality of your paintings, which I referenced earlier in this feature, to your connection to the spiritual and the Divine as it’s translated by your brush strokes. And we’re going to talk about this in much greater depth shortly. But there are also some very practical, tangible academic and experiential influences that have impacted your work. Your academic pedigree is significant. You’ve received accreditation from some very highly esteemed institutions, including both the Ipswich and Norwich Schools of Art. How fundamental to your style and to your skill is the education you received at these institutions?
SBW: My education at all the art schools, aside from encouragement and certain art history lessons, had little bearing on how my work has developed. Undoubtedly, though I was to some degree being moved by the Impressionists and Expressionists, my brush marks and use of vibrant color have come through my need to express my emotion through my art, instinctively. I “feel” my way through.
JS: You also enjoyed the benefit of the tutelage and guidance of the late Expressionist painter, Dennis Creffield, who in turn studied under another, earlier Expressionist master, David Bomberg. Did your study with Creffield come before your enrollment at Ipswich and Norwich?
SBW: Dennis Creffield visited whilst I was at Norwich School of Art, and I was introduced to him in 1985 through a mutual artist friend, Sophie Reason, who had also been taught by Creffield. They were both touched by a lecture I gave to students and staff about my work.
JS: You’ve mentioned that Creffield was instrumental in helping you translate your powerful emotions at the time – chief among them, your profound grief – through the use of physical media. Suffusing a subject with the power of emotion and idealism is certainly an Expressionist School hallmark. Would you say that you first embraced the fundamentals of the Expressionist movement under Creffield, or were you already on an Expressionist path when you began your study with him?
SBW: I would say I was certainly already feeling drawn to an Expressionist approach, through my interest in David Bomberg, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and German expressionists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Emil Nolde, before I met Dennis Creffield.
After meeting him, I wrote a letter to him in 1985 expressing that I was troubled by fear interfering with my creativity. He wrote back on July 2, 1985, advising me to persist, to keep painting and to not be discouraged by failures. He went on to write “…I put it this way round because when at the age of eighteen Bomberg told me to learn to paint with joy, I couldn’t understand what he was talking about – it seemed so hard and painful. Nearly 40 years later I have begun to understand – the fruits only come through persistence and patience. Having met you I am absolutely confident that you will continue and make fine work…”
I had been in deep depression, just a few years after my mother’s tragic loss, when I had written this “cry for help” to Creffield. He related to my struggle with understanding the meaning of existence, a spiritual understanding, but he was Catholic and wrote “…I know that you lost your mother in a cruel and seemingly arbitrary way – but there must be meaning to it – or all life would be meaningless. I believe that your mother lives and prays for you – and wants you to make positive paintings for her and for life…”
I realise now that he was right. All my work is an agony of passion with great moments of joy that I do humbly feel come through my prayers to the Holy Spirit. I am certainly painting works of positivity, of light, that lift people.
JS: I’m astounded by your ability to take the more widely recognized aspects of the Expressionist style and extend them into realms of what I think of as “extra-literalism.” Is it Creffield’s influence that has enabled you to push, and ultimately extend, the stylistic boundaries of Expressionism in this way?
SBW: Thank you so much, John. I have not consciously tried to emulate any former styles of Expressionism – my work has just evolved very naturally and personally to me, though there would be unconscious influence; certainly, Dennis Creffield helped through his reassurance – and it was his former student, my friend Sophie Reason, who passed on his suggestions of changing art mediums to “feel” my way physically through the emotion. A simple example of experimenting with mediums: a change from pencil, with which I was well-acquainted, to the more fluid charcoal helped my drawing attain a deeper feeling.
JS: We’re getting dangerously close to the “more” component of your paintings, and my own suspicions regarding its primary and elemental impetus, namely your spirituality and religious faith. So, lets wade into these waters gingerly yet directly, with an ostensibly simple and straightforward question. You’ve been Christian all your life, and you’re presently Catholic. But this wasn’t always so. Can you describe briefly the path you’ve taken with respect to your Christian denominations, and explain why you chose to become a Catholic?
SBW: I was baptized in the Church of England, like my parents. However, whilst being conscious of always looking heavenwards, for a spiritual meaning to life, I had, like my parents not been a regular church attender. My mother had attended a convent school in the 1950s and had sadly been hurt there, which had somewhat turned her away from the church; though I believe her faith always remained, deep down. I own a small crucifix that had always stood on her dressing table. It was in the 1990s that I happened to be close to people who were Catholic, and I began visiting Catholic churches to pray privately – to keep above my depression – and was attracted to the many Saints and devotions. They just spoke to me.
JS: Your faith and your art are central to your existence, and the two, as you’ve often described, are inextricably linked. You’ve mentioned to me in previous conversations that you pray immediately before you begin a new work. How does prayer impact each work? Am I right in my belief that a substantial amount of the “more” I perceive in your paintings can be attributed to your prayer, and the inspiration you derive from the Divine as its result?
SBW: Yes, I am certain – indeed I know – that it is my dependence on prayer – my poverty of spirit – that directs and guides my art. Indeed, before beginning any new work, I have an enormous emptiness – a fear that I will be unable to create, to perceive – which just encourages my need to pray for strength. I have felt metaphorically at the “foot of The Cross” – at the feet of Jesus – humbly asking for help. I do naturally see and feel deeply colors and sensations, and I equate that with my faith, and painting with thankfulness.
JS: That “more” of your paintings – their inner light, their vitality, their movement, their articulation – is evident in not only your religious-themed paintings, but in all other works within your portfolio, including your still lifes and bird paintings, your secular portraits, and, astoundingly, your landscapes, cityscapes, and architectural paintings. This undeniable essence radiates from within each work. In your process of effecting this “moreness” in each work, are you aware of the point that your own mastery and technical adroitness ends, and where the Divine takes over? Is there a line of demarcation? Can you discern how much of the “moreness” is your training, and how much is, quite simply, the Divine at work through you?
SBW: As I said before, all feels like it comes from prayer; whilst I do humbly realise that I have been given a gift to perceive the way I do. Prayer is the catalyst to beginning – and continues as my lifeline throughout – each of my creations. The creativity and prayers are intertwined – it is a partnership. It is interesting that you mention the movement within my architectural works and cityscapes. I truly feel that they are living and breathing before me. Indeed, Bomberg and Creffield used to talk about capturing “the spirit in the mass” – seeking to reveal a sense of structure through an intense deep engagement – to which I relate.
JS: In a well-documented incident involving your painting of a portrait of famous TV personality Sarah Greene, the passion and conviction of your faith took on what can only be described as tangible, tactile form, as both your sitter, the esteemed Ms. Greene, and another individual – a waiter, in fact, who was present at the sitting but was in no way connected to, or familiar with you or your work – both experienced something miraculous. Please, if you would, describe what your sitter and this other individual experienced as you painted.
SBW: Yes, TV presenter Sarah Greene was a beautiful portrait sitter in July 1996 – and what happened was certainly extraordinary. En route to meet her and paint the portrait on the appointed date, I was praying for strength. I have a history of sleep problems, and, at times, insomnia, especially prior to building up to such an engagement. I think we both instantly liked each other, felt spiritually in tune. Perhaps quite uniquely, I normally paint a portrait from life in one sitting – no preliminary drawings – just simply a spontaneous response to my visual and emotional insight into the person.
As always, as I painted (and Sarah- a beautiful radiant subject – sat patiently), I would gently ask if she was comfortable or needed a break; we have to take pauses! At the end of the sitting, when I turned the canvas around, I saw that Sarah was tearfully overwhelmed, saying that she felt that I had captured a beautiful aura.
She wrote me a warm, thankful card afterwards, saying how overwhelmed her husband, the late broadcaster Mike Smith (1955-2014), had been by the portrait; as was her father who “had quite a tear in his eye” recognizing I had captured a likeness to his mother – Sarah Greene’s grandmother – in the portrait. I reach deep.
A year or so later, she wrote asking if she could commission a portrait of her husband – from photographs; as it was to be a surprise. We arranged to meet to discuss the idea, my having asked her to bring a good selection of photographs. It always gives a deeper insight to capturing an essence if I can work from more than one photograph. She then said that she had to ask me if I was a spiritual person, going on to say that the portrait sitting had been one of the most incredible experiences of her life.
She then explained that after our sitting – which had taken place in a private club to which she belonged – that a waiter who had entered the room where I was painting to ask if we would like refreshments had told his manager that, whilst he had seen just the two of us – artist and sitter – in the room, he felt an electric energy and felt the presence of three persons. I was amazed, and mentioned then that I did pray. She said she was deeply touched, as in 1988, she and her husband had been involved in a near fatal helicopter crash, well-documented on the news; and that she had found herself thanking spiritually and felt a sense of being reassured that her gratitude was heard.
Her husband was delighted and amazed by my portrait, which she presented to him Christmas, 1997; the couple later went on to commission me to paint a large landscape – a view of the river Thames close to their London home. They came to watch me execute this work as I painted on location.
A year or two afterwards, the couple attended a big exhibition of French Impressionists at London’s Royal Academy of Arts – and Sarah shared with me that she had asked Mike what he felt about the works on show. He said that whilst he thought the show was wonderful, he felt that he somehow found my work more moving. That was humbly quite overwhelming to hear.
JS: You’ve garnered some incredible, globally renowned commissions over the years, including your spectacular 30-painting Tower of London project, and an on-site painting of Buckingham Palace, and you’ve mentioned publicly that Divine Intervention has been the instrument behind the securing of such commissions. Can you briefly elaborate?
SBW: In my determination to survive as an artist whilst undertaking commissions and exhibiting, I humbly prayed deeply for bigger breaks that would highlight my art – which these commissions have done. My permanent exhibit outside the Tower of London is a great blessing. Indeed, I have humbly called it “God’s commission.” So many, especially from the USA, have discovered my art from that landmark.
JS: Your religious paintings depict saints, clerics, Christ, the Madonna, the Apostles, and more. What inspires your choice of subject?
SBW: It can be a moment, a feeling, someone’s need for healing, my own need for strength, or a particular anniversary that leads to a search for a devotion that relates and inspires. I think I look for signs of God in all aspects of life. Professionally, I do get commissioned to paint tributes to Saints and other devotions, after which certain establishments – such as schools and churches are named. When I receive such commissions, I feel I am being educated further, sometimes through having to learn about a Saint of whom I had not previously heard.
JS: As a life-long Greek Orthodox Christian, I’ve seen a lot of religious iconography in my time. For me, your paintings call to mind the beautiful and lovingly executed icons of my own denomination. Can your paintings of the saints, apostles, and Christ and the Madonna in any way be considered icons? Have you painted any of them from existing icons?
SBW: That is so beautiful what you express about how my tributes have touched you, John, in relation to your religion. Thank you so much. Humbly, I do feel that I am perhaps creating new Christian icons – a lot of people have suggested this in perceiving and owning my work. Whenever I paint a tribute, in order to understand the Saint, I research and build a montage of collected historic images upon which I allow my eyes to gaze and glimpse as my imagination, strengthened by prayers, brings forth a new interpretation.
JS: Christianity, and, in particular, the Catholic Church, have existed for some time as sort of low-hanging fruit, ripe for the bashing, in the media, in the court of popular opinion, and, in the case of any number of publicized instances, the actual court system. Does your own very well-documented embracing of your faith, and your very proud and very public discussions regarding the critically fundamental part it plays in your creative process and overall artistic gestalt, place a stigmatizing proverbial target on your back? Has it hurt your popularity in any way?
SBW: That is an interesting point. I am certainly aware that the modern art world is predominately atheist; but I humbly feel I am being given what I consider a “divine calling” – or as my priest once called my work, a vocation – and I am not prepared to compromise my faith. In fact, that would be impossible, as it is integral to who I am. I know I am creating something new. I have even had agnostics express how overwhelmed they are by the heart and soul in my art, though they have no faith. The church is not beyond criticism at all. There is too much emphasis on guilt about natural human emotions and some human prejudice that is often projected; whilst Jesus is all about Mercy. I am very touched to attend Mass and receive Communion, but it is my innate personal spiritual faith that guides me.
JS: With enough discussion of the role that your faith and the Divine have continued to play in your individual works and throughout your career and life at large undertaken to substantially satisfy my curiosity (and hopefully that of readers, as well), I’d like to move on to a more secular, and what, by comparison, might seem a slightly prosaic vein of discourse. Let’s talk about the brilliant, venerable Venetian School, and the comparison of its vibrant, colorful ebullience to your own style. I have unabashedly considered your work to exist as a singular “Venetian School without Borders-Expressionist Plus” category, as it transcends the limits imposed on the Venetians by line and by dogma, and ventures further beyond even Expressionism’s idealism. How far off the mark am I with this interpretation of Stephen B. Whatley’s unmistakable style?
SBW: Well, John, you pay me an enormous compliment – though there has been no conscious influence on how my art has developed. Certainly, in my Christian tributes – and you note that I do not restrict to Catholic, as I like people of all Christian denominations to appreciate my work – paintings from the Venetian school have sometimes been part of researched inspiration. My work is a constant battle to evolve and develop. Somehow it has to be difficult – it being easy would mean that I had fallen into a formula. Undoubtedly, I have been touched by those earlier depictions of Christianity.
JS: Do you always paint from a model? Whether a human sitter, an architectural scene, a still life tableau, a photograph, an en plein air setting… is there always the starting point of a concrete subject from which you work, or do you ever create works from your own imagination and conceptualization? Are there ever elements of both methodologies in a particular work?
SBW: I like to paint from life – the spontaneity of the moment – but equally, I work from drawings made from life. I will work from photographs, too – and often that will entail working from several photographs of the same subject… everything is about the deeper essence for me. I have felt at times that my art might depart into the direction of abstraction – indeed areas of my work are probably abstract – Expressionist – but yes, there is always a starting point of subject. Perhaps there is instinctive imagination, through the colors I both see and feel, and my brush marks at work always; certainly, perhaps no less so than in my Christian tributes, where so often particularly in the case of the more ancient devotions, there is no point of reference, no image apart from other artists’ earlier imagined perceptions. This is where my prayers come into play ever more profoundly; I hold onto all the research I do to understand their characters and where described, their appearances.
JS: You’re a huge fan of American film and television, and you’re particularly in love with the glories of Old Hollywood. How does this passion manifest itself in your work? Whom among Hollywood’s legends, and in what manner, have you honored in singular Stephen B. Whatley style?
SBW: The Golden Era of Hollywood and its stars have always held a fascination for me. I have painted many of the legendary stars, but as I am touched by humility and often drawn to shedding light on working actors from that classic era – I celebrate them, making them stars! As mentioned earlier, I have painted tributes in oils to a lot of major stars, showcased in my National Theatre exhibit – such as Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner and Rita Hayworth. A lot of my tributes, when I get the opportunity, are created in charcoal – and the interest manifests itself through my cartoon tributes, completely different from my Fine Art. As my father did before me, I have always enjoyed creating cartoons, more as a sideline. Again, like my art, they are very heartfelt and complimentary, unlike the tradition of unflattering caricatures.
JS: I know your portfolio is available for viewing on your fabulous website, but can you give readers here an idea of the various kinds of work you do? You know, an overview of your oeuvre?
SBW: I have an eclectic range of subjects, and all my art – oil paintings, charcoal and pastel drawings – is created with great passion from my heart and soul – with prayers. Architecture, as I have mentioned, is a great passion – cityscapes, some landscapes; portraits, in which I’ve captured so much more than just likenesses – truly, more like essences, auras are what my portraits reveal. Nature in its various forms – I have always loved birds and still life, especially flowers (which in themselves are already works of art before one ever begins painting or drawing them); so, there’s always an inspiring challenge. I have even painted tributes to some of the cartoon stars of my childhood along the way. The “Drawings” gallery on my website encompasses many of these subjects. The growing, major body of my work, since 2000, are my Christian Tributes, which seem to be increasingly in demand; which in turn maybe says something about the times we are living in – the need for new light. I have so many projects, series of work that I would like to create, inspired by my deep sensory and spiritual interest in life and by my passions – I truly hope life gives me time to accomplish those inspirations.
JS: I understand you’re currently working on a commission for a collection here in the U.S. Can you tell me a little about it?
SBW: Through the window of the internet, as so often, I received an email from the St. Regis School of The Sacred Heart in Houston, TX, expressing their love of my art – and explaining that they had seen my painting of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, commissioned last year by the Duchesne School of The Sacred Heart, their “sister” school in Houston. They asked me to paint a tribute to Saint John Francis Regis, their Patron Saint. As always, I was eager to learn, and had not heard of this Saint. Through my research and selection of historic depictions of the 17th century French Saint, I felt I was given a holy sense of him, over a series of intensely creative days. The school, on seeing the photograph sent to them of the complete painting, described it as “phenomenal” – but nothing beats the original work in person, which they await.
JS: This one’s a two-parter, and it’s important. How can collectors see more of you work? How can they acquire it?
SBW: My current permanent showcase is my website, an eclectic colorful tour – whilst collectors can see more of my art on my sites at Flickr – somewhat like a blog – Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Of course, if visiting London, people can step out and see my permanent exhibit, outside Tower Hill Station – the main pedestrian walkway to the Tower of London, lit up with the pageantry and icons of the Tower’s history, through my Expressionist paintings. As an artist, it is truly surreal to behold, as it likewise is for viewers. I am always happy to hear from people my work has inspired, who can contact me via my email on my website – or through any of my other forums.
JS: Last question… So, big picture, what’s next for Stephen B. Whatley?
SBW: Well, I always most humbly say that God is my agent, so I let Him lead. Life is full of surprises, as we all know. When I started out, I thought maybe I would be a portrait artist to the stars – but progressively, it is the “stars of Heaven” – Our Lady, Jesus, and the Holy Saints – to whom I keep being led to paint, either through my own inspiration, or through commissions, which come mostly from the USA.
I have a portrait from life commission coming up soon, whilst my cartoon illustrations are due to be published in the memoirs of one of the survivors of the Golden Age of Hollywood, film actress Mamie Van Doren – now a very active and glamorous 94-year-old. She starred with Clark Gable and Doris Day in the movie Teacher’s Pet (Paramount, 1958).
Over the years, I have been amounting a series of works inspired by my love of New York, and by drawings I have made on location during visits there over the years and have never yet exhibited. I describe New York City as an urban Grand Canyon, and I would love to have these NYC-inspired works exhibited together in a show, maybe in the USA. I have recently made them available on my website. Architectural paintings are a great inspiration. Whatever comes my way will, there is no doubt, be painted from my heart and soul. On a personal level, I have painted posthumous tributes to my beloved mother, inspired by photographs and memories. Over the years I have often been commissioned to paint portraits from photographs, and my clients are astounded at the depth of likeness and spirit I uncover without the benefit of ever having met the subject. As with all my work, I pray for that deep insight to be unlocked as I paint.
Thank you so much, John, for your interest and your questions, which, through your perceptive inquisitiveness, have provoked so many memories and thoughts.
Visit London based Expressionist artist Stephen B. Whatley’s remarkable website at stephenbwhatley.com to keep up with his world, his works, his commissions, and his exhibitions, and of course to inquire about or to purchase his pieces. Click here to follow him on X (Twitter), and click here to follow him on Instagram. Finally, click right here to like him on Facebook.
My sincerest thanks go to Stephen B. Whatley for sitting down with me for this interview, and for allowing RGG subscribers, readers, and visitors this most fascinating glimpse into his oeuvre and his creative process, and into his heart and soul, as well. Conducting this interview with Stephen was entirely and honor and an absolute pleasure for me. He’s as humble and gracious as he is talented, and it’s my hope that he’ll return to the digital pages of The RGG before too terribly long. Bravo, Stephen – you’re a brilliant artist and the very finest of gentlemen!
And of course, dear RGG readers and subscribers, I thank you, as always, for your kind interest and readership. They are dearly appreciated.
Cheers, and Happy Gardening!
The Renaissance Garden Guy is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, The Renaissance Garden Guy earns from qualifying purchases.
Additionally, The Renaissance Garden Guy is a participant in the Bluehost, SeedsNow, and A2 Hosting affiliate programs. The Renaissance Garden Guy earns a fee/commission each time a visitor clicks on an ad or banner in this site from one of these companies and makes a subsequent qualifying purchase.
Please click here to view The Renaissance Garden Guy Disclosure page.
Thank you so much John for reaching out to me and being so inspired by my art. Your intelligent, sensitive and perceptive questions and compliments were hugely challenging, mainly as I feel so humble.
Ultimately what was instigated by your fascination and inquisitiveness was a profound reflection and articulation from my heart and soul on how my work has evolved – and the way you have presented our collaboration is exemplary.
I am just seeing the beautiful heartfelt responses from your reader, which have touched my heart. They are very welcome to be in touch with me and discuss paintings or drawings which might interest them on my website; and for those where owning original works of art maybe out of their range I should mention that I have personally signed limited edition prints of most of my works, produced to order, via my Prints page of my website.
My deepest gratitude to you, John, and to all of you who are appreciating my work .
The honor and the pleasure are mine, Stephen. Your work is glorious, you, personally, are the finest of gentlemen, and the collaborative effort was a remarkable experience. I’m thrilled that your feature in The RGG is effectively bringing your work (and you, of course) to those art lovers and collectors who may have been, until now, unfamiliar. And, as the old saying goes, you are a stranger here but once. I’m hoping to see you back here in The RGG soon.
Many thanks John. I feel sure I will emerge again on your beautiful site – a garden of culture – sometimes in the future ~ Stephen
The RGG will be a greater publication for it!
A complete ” Tour de Force”. Extraordinary interview and analysis of a unique artist. What a coup to connect with such a unique and singularly passion-filled artist.
Thank you so much, Rick, for the kind words regarding my own analysis and Mr. Whatley’s interview. And you’re absolutely right – I feel exceedingly honored and privileged to feature not only Stephen’s transfixing work in The RGG, but his thoughts, remembrances, emotions, and inspirations as directly related by him throughout the interview. He is truly a global-level art world star, a one-of-a-kind Expressionist master, and the very finest of gentlemen. It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know him, his work, and his impact as both an artist and as a man on all those he encounters. Thanks once again, Rick.
I love Stephen’s paintings. The interview was as inspirational as his paintings are. Thank you, John, for brining Steven’s work to so many readers’ attention, and thank you, Stephen, for sharing your story in The RGG with art lovers everywhere.
Thank you, Kevin, for reading the interview and for leaving such kind thoughts here. I’m so glad you’ve gotten the chance to experience Stephen’s remarkable work and to learn about his inspiration as well as his creative process. He’s a very deep, truly fascinating gentleman. Thank you once again, Kevin.
Oh my goodness – that painting of Pope Francis – stunning!
Love love love the paintings.
Thank you for this amazing interview.
Thank you for reading the interview, Annie. I’m thrilled that you love Stephen’s work – he really is absolutely amazing. And truly, Annie, he’s as humble and gracious as he is talented. He’s a legitimate international star. His work has merited this. Although he is a contemporary Expressionist master, he’s also the most gracious and humble of gentlemen. It’s an honor to feature his work and his interview here in The RGG, and it was a pleasure getting to know him. Thanks once again, Annie. Your kind thoughts and words are truly appreciated.
WOW – Great talent!
Absolutely beautiful art 🌹❤️🌹
Thank you for sharing this amazing artist with us.
Im so glad you’ve enjoyed viewing Stephen’s work, Roxxy, and I’m happy you enjoyed his interview. He’s an absolute Expressionist master, and he’s a fascinating and very kind gentleman. He puts so much of himself – his heart, his soul, his faith – into each and every one of his amazing works. He’s a remarkable artist and a remarkable human being. Thank you for reading the interview, Roxxy, and thank you for leaving your lovely thoughts here.
Oh! Those beautiful colors! What a talented gentleman. Thank you for introducing him to all of us!
He really is brilliant, Tina – I completely agree with you! Thank you for reading his interview. Absolutely a remarkable man, no?