Steve E. Counsell has loved to draw and read from an early age. He attended UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO majoring in Art and minoring in Metallurgy. After a couple years he didn’t see the UNM arts program meeting his interest. He moved to Alaska and attended ANCHORAGE METHODIST UNIVERSITY. Again, he was disappointed in the art program. However, living in Alaska was an inspiration of natural beauty and Steve decided to make an extensive world tour with his backpack. Steve enjoyed the mountains and museums of Europe where he found the value of seeing the works and places of Michelangelo, DaVinci, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Durer, and many others Renaissance artists as a valuable education.

After a couple years of travel, he returned to visit friends in Alaska and again became a resident working as lead graphic artist. He continued his creative work for 4 hours each morning before going into his full-time job. Steve and his wife, Hope Reed, owned/operated the AMNIOTE GALLERY in Anchorage Alaska, where he displayed his art and other Alaskan artists. Through the gallery he sponsored “Thursday’s Circle” poetry readings and assisted with publication of several books by the same title. He took a full-time job as graphic artist for the CALISTA NATIVE AMERICAN CORPORATION and enjoyed doing landscape photography work.