Art as a form of diary

Steven Reddy is an eclectic artist that makes his way through life one drawing at a time. And he wants to share what took him a lifetime to figure out, “I wish people knew that it was possible ... to make a life as an artist.”  

Reddy has been drawing for as long as he can remember and considers art as his first language. He said he has always drawn ever since his mom gave him crayons and paper to keep him busy. He had many different jobs throughout his life but his art was always there. "I loved drawing so much that I never gave it up," he said and eventually it became his career.

Although Reddy grew up in the Puyallup/ Tacoma area, he describes his high school years in Alaska as, “the best thing that ever happened to me.” When an upperclassman shared their journal, which was a sketchbook filled with drawings and artifacts, Reddy instantly knew that would be his thing. He now has over 100 sketchbooks and considers his art as a form of diary. “All my work is autobiographical.” 

During the pandemic, he adopted a beautiful dog named Willa and quickly realized that he’d need a home with a yard. Reddy and Willa set out to find a comfortable home in a nice neighborhood that they could explore. They landed in Queen Anne and the rest is an artistic history. Reddy has found endless material for his distinctive pen and ink drawings.  

“I love that Queen Anne is walkable. And so beautiful,” he said. Reddy prefers the Craftsman style over the modern designs that he finds boring. “I like clutter, density, details packed in. Manmade intricate scenes are my favorite to draw.” 

A watercolor painting of a local coffee shop by Steven Reddy that features one of the artist's pen and ink line drawings. Courtesy of Steven Reddy

Some of these locally inspired works will be on display at an upcoming solo art show at All City Coffee in Georgetown, 1205 S Vale St. The new show just opened and will be featured in the Georgetown Art Attack, the local art walk that occurs on the second Saturday of each month. Reddy is donating half of the proceeds to the ACLU in an effort to make a difference in today’s political climate. There are more than 20 large works in the show, including acrylic and oil paintings of local houses, everyday items, and of course Willa the dog.  

Willa is also the star of Reddy’s recent book Walks With Willa, which he considers a love story. He describes it as an intimate memoir documenting a year of social distancing with his best friend. Queen Anne residents may recognize some homes that they know in the book. And will definitely know some of the sites on Queen Anne Avenue, the bustle of Interbay and natural beauty surrounding the neighborhood. 

Other books include Now Where Was I? and About A Year that document his global travels. And he has a new short form book called Where’s Willa? that is a smaller version of his signature illustrated journal books. All of his books are available at etsy.com/shop/StevenReddy

 If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the artist on Saturday’s Art Attack in Georgetown. And if not, you may find him out and about sketching in the neighborhood. In addition to his personal drawings, he is open to commissions. More information at StevenReddy.com