GETTING TO KNOW STEVE SHRIVER
Story written and photographed by Erik Jay
ARTIST, FATHER, FRIEND & FIGHTER
From his high school days of partying and enjoying small town life in PV to waking up as someone else, Steve Shriver has a story that spans over two lifetimes.
Steve has been a local from almost day one, originally living on Rocky Point in PVE, he was a wild child with a mountain of artistic expression just ahead of him, but he didn’t know it. Like many locals during the 70’s, he was able to experience facets of the small town that are no longer here. There was no time limit to stopping to smell the roses and surfing only happened on days that end in ‘Y’.
He enjoyed his high school days immensely and as he matured, so did his drive to seek out his passion in life. By his late teens, there was no denying his calling; art. At first, he dove into several definitions of art, ranging from music to writing to painting. It was all new territory to this now well accomplished professional. Although he enjoyed and still appreciates all forms, there was little doubt left in everyone’s mind that Steve was meant to paint.
As luck would have it, Steve and his family moved to Portuguese Bend, an area rich with artists and talent that serves as a gem for those who seek an environment promoting creativity.
By now, he had gravitated to his passion and was living in the same area that gave way to Frank Vanderlip’s city-wide creations, Dr. Seuss’ work and decades of artists from every corner of the industry.
He pursued his education in the arts at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. His degree was in Lib Arts; with an emphasis toward his artistic development.
By the early 80’s, Steve Shriver was becoming comfortable in the element of his expertise and was beginning to show his work across the country. And as Steve settled into the professional chapter of his history, everything fell into place, including meeting the lady of his dreams.
See Steve Shriver’s art at flickr
In 1984, Steve married Marianne. She is not an artist, but she found his work to match the soul that she fell in love with, and it created a union based on their love for one another and the common joy they both found for the evolving creativity coming from Steve’s art.
Claire, child one of three was just a few months old when they set off to Brooklyn, New York. The newlyweds and Claire found themselves in the cultural concrete jungle, acclimating to the next level of Steve’s professional life. Not only did Steve’s work continue to thrive, but it allowed them to quickly appreciate the aspects of the South Bay that only moving to New York can teach a Native West Coaster.
Sam and Tim (twins) were born when the new Shriver family returned to the South Bay. They returned to the environmental artist colony he fell in love with; Portuguese Bend in Palos Verdes.
Steve has a unique quality many other artists do not possess; the ability to get paid for his work. And when he returned to Palos Verdes, he found himself contributing to local landmarks, restoring works like the ornate ceilings at the Palos Verdes Neighborhood Church and accurate historical artistic representation to various projects. His natural talent became a voracious appetite for his expertise by the upper echelon communities on a national level. Nationally recognized went to internationally recognized. Art shows spanned from West Coast to East Coast to Europe. Life was on the move and Steve was rolling with it.
And when he wasn’t painting the canvas, he was painting the local scene with his surfboard and bike. He took advantage of every nook and cranny the peninsula offers. Through his love for the local surroundings, staying fit was not an issue. He even found himself biking the coast to even go to his jobs.
Ironically, it was his zest for a healthy life that brought life one to a screeching halt.
AWAKE
In 2016, Steve was on his bike, returning from a job he was working on in the Palisades. Within moments of leaving, everything abruptly changed. He was struck by a car, rendering him teetering in between life and death. Broken bones were the least of his worries. Clinging to life, in a coma with a future of uncertainty centrally located in a hospital bed was the beginning of Steve’s next chapter.
It took a month of intensive therapy at the hospital before it was possible for him to return home.
Marianne is a nurse which made it possible for Steve to expedite his return home, being under her care. But home was not home anymore. Everything wasn’t his. He was awake, he was talking, but he remained in a ‘conscious coma’. Steve Shriver was awake and asleep at the same time.
Two months went by before physical, mental and emotional regrouped. He clearly remembers the day he woke up from his conscious coma. The day he left the haze of healing was a reflection of the core man he is.
WHAT BROUGHT HIM BACK FROM COMPLETE DARKNESS OF RECOLLECTION? LOVE
Hi, Claire”. He remembered his daughter and it was that bond that allowed his struggle to become
reward. As time went on, his memory increased, his body healed and he did what only a small fraction of people
do; he came back stronger from something that left him on the brink of death. Every single day was hell
for a very long time, while doing his best to remain stoic and appreciative to his family for being there
when he was and ‘wasn’t’ there.
Sitting up in bed and remembering who his reflection is has now become someone who has created new art, the development of an amazing back yard project spanning over two acres, world travel to
showcase his work, all while still taking modest steps toward a never ending process of recovery.
His art went into angle of introspection that reveals the pains of recovery, the fears of life and death
along with a cultivation of displaying the significance of the preciousness of each second. Recent shows have left his long time fans with the sight of a raw human being expressing what many of us cast aside as ‘won’t happen to me’. It strikes an unusual balance of id and joy, which has Steve welcoming new fans at each show.
His physical therapy is his immensely large garden. From the moment he regrouped to now, it has been an ongoing project of carved out trails, soon to be showcased in a ‘garden party’ when timing allows. Steve loves his parties. From his local annual Arty Party to hikes with his dog Luna to running into thousands of friends and fans, Steve has established himself a onee of the most fascinating members of our community.
Steve Shriver is an artist, a fighter, a father and a friend. His creativity is his light, his family is his love and his passion for the whirlwind of life will always be seen in his work and the eyes that capture it?
