Steven Lelievre’s watercolor paintings are now on exhibition at Key Bank in Eastsound for the month of September. The 26 works represent leaf and floral studies, landscapes, a portrait, and mixed media work.

Lelievre is a careful observer of the world around him. What intrigues him most are his observations of how sun light and shaded colors and shapes work in the mind’s eye. It is this play which he strives to manipulate into paintings that reflect his own style – rendering images and experimenting with his own personal interpretation.

Orcas Island has been a part of Lelievre’s life for more than 20 years.

“I visited first Orcas while sailing in the San Juans with my partner, Dan,” he said. “We purchased land near Rosario in 1988 and our home was completed in 1995. While we’re still not yet full time residents, but we’ve made many close friends here, and we look forward to the time when Orcas will evolve into our primary residence.”

Lelievre is a junior high school math teacher in the Seattle area. His interest in watercolor painting was jump-started with a birthday gift of a workshop by Carolyn Buchanan. He went on to study with Linda Lee Foster in Bellevue and has also attended workshops with Nancy Stonington.