I was reading a library book the other day and stumbled on a name I remembered from a few years back. I thought I had written about this, but I guess it never made the blog...until now.
It was March of 2017 and we were living in a rental condo in Harbour Oaks on Saint Simon's Island, Georgia. I was working with Pete and he had taken on some big jobs; a cabinet build-out for a woman's clothing store, a 45 ft Red Grandis bar for the Augusta National Golf Tournament and an ongoing gig on Sea Island including art hanging and furniture moving.
We worked long hours against some difficult deadlines, but I loved learning about finish carpentry...even though Pete rarely had me working on the "smart end of the tape measure". He is an incredibly talented person and I have learned so much from him. I even beat him at pool a few times...on his bad days.
On Sea Island, which is a 5 star, world renowned, gated resort, we never knew what job was coming down the line. We usually had to scramble to fit it in.
It was just such a rush job that we were called to at the opulent Sea Island hotel and restaurant, The Cloister.
Our assignment was to transport a piece of art from the 3rd floor and install it in a soon to be opened Italian restaurant. And it needed to be done immediately for the opening.
We were met by the artist's assistant in the lobby. She was stressed and in a rush. She led us up the marble stairs to a guest room. The door opened and we were stunned as we took in the scene. The artist was standing in the middle of the cramped room covered in paint, hair disheveled and thick glasses perched on the tip of his nose. Dirty dishes, uneaten food and empty bottles were strewn on every available surface. He had been working for several days on a brightly colored piece of framed canvas. The piece of art, a painting of an Italian sea side villa, was massive, over 6 ft high and 4 ft wide.
The assistant said meekly, "Steven, they are here to move your painting." He started painting more feverishly until after several minutes, he threw down his brush and walked into the bathroom. The assistant anxiously encourage us to get at it and we did...except that the piece was too big to get out the door! She went postal, flapping her arms and walking back and forth in the room like a frantic bird in gilded cage. Steven eventually came out of the bathroom and realized the predicament. He immediately grabbed a battery operated screw gun and began to disassemble the frame. The wet paint got all over everything.
Finally we got it out the door. It was too big for the elevator so we wrestled it down 3 flights of stairs, across the lobby and into the restaurant.There were a gaggle of onlookers and staff there to observe the new art and the infamous artist.
By then, we were wise to the fact that this guy, Steve, was a big deal. He rushed into the room still covered in paint from head to toe, but had put on a blazer and a tie for the unveiling.
But the painting had not only been too big to get out of the room, it was too big to fit into the designated alcove! This time Steve stood back as Pete did his carpentry magic. Steve did jump in when Pete brought out his electric staple gun and proceeded to staple the begeezus out of the back of the canvas with reckless abandon. He was like a kid with a new toy. We were finally able to squeeze the painting into place.
Everyone applauded and smiled and celebratory drinks were served, even to the picture hangers. The assistant rushed up to Steve and asked, "Would you like a beer...or a gin and tonic?" He thought for a moment and said, "Both".
He sat down on the bench, a drink in each hand, as people watched his every move. So I grabbed my Coors Light, sat down next to him and engaged in a conversation. He was talkative, not standoffish and he told me about his life, his recent divorce and his children. He asked me about myself and was interested in my story of traveling the country for the past 10 years.
Steven Penley. A very talented, quirky, truly nice guy.
Steve Penley was born into a family of musicians in 1964 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Penley family moved to Athens and then to Macon where Steve graduated from First Presbyterian Day School. Steve continued his studies of art at The School of Visual Arts in New York and at The University of Georgia.
After college, Steve was working odd jobs while painting when his talent was recognized by an attorney and art enthusiast, Robert Steed. Steed’s friendship and patronage helped Steve connect with many other clients and grow his business. Penley quickly gained recognition for his bold brush strokes, vivid colors and historical icon paintings.
Steve’s notoriety quickly increased and now he is one of America’s most celebrated artists with works exhibited worldwide. Steve has created many projects for Fox News, major companies such as Coca-Cola, AirTran/Southwest, Kaiser Permanente, as well as several U.S. Presidents.
Penley has authored several books of his own and illustrated books including several authored by Coach Vince Dooley. He has received a number of awards and honors for his talents and has donated countless paintings to charities and organizations in his community and state, as well as across the nation. He especially considers it an honor to be involved with numerous organizations that benefit our service men and women as well as our veterans.
Steve is proudest of his role as a father of three very talented artists and musicians: Lyall, Abbey and Parker
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