Welcome to Steven Robert Bruce Art

I was born in Ashton-under-Lyne near Manchester, and went on to attend the local Grammar School.

Having taken art up to "O" Level and failing miserably, I decided that art wasn't for me and embarked upon a career as a hairdresser. Fast forward to my 38th birthday and a turning point in my life, when my then partner surprisingly gifted me a set of oil paints, brushes, canvas boards, easel and a book of how to paint in oils for beginners. I set about teaching myself my new hobby. This was the mid 1990s and led to my now life obsession with painting.

Moving to the Fylde coast area in 1997, I eventually took a job at Royal Mail as a postie to give me more time in the afternoons to paint. I continued to work there until I took early medical retirement in December 2013.  Since then I paint as often as possible, stepping it up a gear in 2014, when I built my first website and began to add prints to my collection. That same year I won my first award locally at the Lytham Arts Festival 2014.

In 2014 I also started having regular exhibitions each year at the Pavilion Cafe in Ashton Gardens, St Annes.  Since then, the owners have been unbelievably kind and allow me three months each summer to exhibit my latest pieces.

In 2016 I was invited to stage a solo exhibition at Stockport War Memorial and Art Museum.  At that time it was my most prestigious exhibition so far.

2018 proved to be another good year for me as I was featured in Lancashire Life magazine as their Artist of the Month for February,  and again in June. I was astounded to win the Blackpool Winter Gardens art competition to mark their 140th Anniversary.

In 2022 I submitted two paintings to the open exhibition at Inch Arts Gallery in Altrincham alongside 90 other artists, and was delighted that my painting of a tram approaching Piccadilly in Manchester was judged into 2nd place by TV Arts Presenter Diana Ali.

In 2025 I was a finalist in the Lancashire Artist of the Year competition, where two of my paintings were included in Lancashire County Council's 2026 Art Calendar.

Many of my paintings feature, people, places and things that have meant something to me at some point in my life.

You can find me on Facebook as steven bruce artist, on X as Bruceyart1 and on Instagram as matblack8.
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