CityView Magazine

am painting, I put everything of my mind. “It is a way escape and relax.” But he might be one of the few artists who can boast of shows both at the Fayetteville Museum of Art and at Pope Air Force Base. Steverson does not fit the description of what some would picture when they think of an artist. His clean-cut GI haircut and chiseled soldier looks make him stand out in an art studio. He looks like he would be more comfortable on a football field. But don’t let looks fool you; Steverson’s art speaks for his ability. The life of a soldier can be stressful. Steverson says painting has a calming effect on him. “When I am painting, I put everything else out of my mind,” he says. “It is a way for me to escape and relax.” In addition to his work, Steverson has three children, daughters Laura, 18, and for me to escape and relax.” - Brian Steverson Lana, 16, and a son, Tristan, 11. Of the three, Tristan has followed more in his father’s footsteps. “He likes to draw a lot,” Steverson says. Work and family obligations don’t leave a lot of time for art. In addition to being a member of Cape Fear Studios, Steverson also belongs to the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and the Fayetteville Arts Guild. But Steverson says he would one day love to try sculpting. “I can’t afford it right now, but I would love to sculpt life-sized statues of people,” he said. Maybe someday someone will sculpt a statue of Steverson, a study in contrasts if there ever was one. It isn’t every day you meet a former football player with a paintbrush.CV “When I am painting, I put everything else out of my mind. It is a way Top | Steverson calls it an “oddball” way of painting – he only uses a handful of colors when he works. Above | Old coffee cans hold the artist’s tools of the trade. 24|April/May • 2009

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