steve randall

by mia hadjigeorgiou

Self-taught Liverpudlian artist Steve Randall discusses his route to success, the inspiration behind his creations, and his latest exhibition-‘Transitions’

Born in Walton, Liverpool, in 1968, Steve grew up surrounded by a creative, artistic family; his mother was an amateur cartoonist, and his grandfather was a wrought iron sculptor and shipwright.

Despite this, like many young lads, Steve dreamed of being a footballer, with a loving support for Liverpool F.C. (though he leans towards his son’ steam- Ross County F.C.- these days).

Eventually, Steve ended up working in corporate finance predominantly in the south of England, and he built himself a successful career, but his beloved wife Canan’s heart-wrenching diagnosis with an incurable brain tumour turned his whole life upside-down.

Following Canan’s diagnosis, Steve made the decision to quit his job and take her to Spain, eager to spend as much time with his wife as possible.

It was there that Canan joked about having “always wanted to be married to an artist”, prompting Steve to pick up the paintbrush and begin creating something beautiful from all the pain he was carrying.

By 2017, Steve was painting full-time, drawing inspiration from artists like L.S. Lowry, and teaching himself classic principles like Bob Ross’s ‘wet-on-wet’ technique through YouTube videos and hundreds of hours of trial-and-error.

Without any formal training or connections in the world of art, Steve initially found that he “wasn’t the right age [and] probably wasn’t trendy enough to join certain artistic groups”, but he didn’t really care about fitting in.

He said, “It was a case of finding space to paint, and just doing it for myself and Canan”.

Steve’s work includes a variety of oil paintings which exude an array of different emotions, from contemporary palette-knife pieces radiating mystery (like ‘Mind the Drop’), to the well-known Kirkby Chronicles series, which project nostalgia.

Having been born and bred in Liverpool, Steve is a proud Liverpudlian, and this wholeheartedly shows in his art, particularly in the Kirkby Chronicles series.

Within this collection, Steve transforms memories from his childhood into vibrant and intricate pieces, capturing the essence of late twentieth-century Liverpool perfectly.

Ranging from paintings of a young Steve with his grandmother, Lily, to visualisations of the Old Hall Estate on which Steve lived as a child, the series showcases Steve’s undeniable ability to bring the past to life.

Personally, I absolutely love this collection, especially the pieces ‘Where’s the Party’- which was painted in Steve’s attic during the first COVID-19 lockdown- and ‘Kirkby Boys Chippy Dinner’, which actually features a young Tony Maudsley.

The candid yet vibrant depiction of young life in inner-city Liverpool is something remarkable, as is the political message which pays homage to the struggle of life in 1980s Liverpool under Thatcher’s government.

“Kirkby was a new town…”, Steve said, “… a lot of us kids were written off- Thatcher had her own narrative that we had to fight against”.

He then discussed how all the lads featured in ‘Kirkby Boys Chippy Dinner’ have gone on to have successful careers, proving Thatcher’s prejudiced judgement about them wrong.

Steve himself is also undeniably successful, but what makes him so special as an artist is the fact that he has remained so humble and true to his roots, constantly continuing to give back to the Merseyside community.

As an artist-in-residence with a permanent renewable exhibition of 25 paintings at Aintree Hospital, Steve’s work inspires hope and happiness in those needing it the most.

He was first commissioned to produce art for the hospital back in 2017, which then led to him being offered a derelict space as a studio, and Steve has continued to paint there ever since.

Steve and his wife Canan are also active philanthropists, with a charitable footprint of around £42,000, as of October 2024.

His most recent exhibition- ‘Transitions’, which ran at the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool from 14th -28th March 2025, which was extended to April 11th 2025, was also a truly joyful experience.

The pieces on display, accompanied by a personalised soundtrack from musical artist WESTHEART, were completely free for the public to view, and the vivid fusion of contrasting colours was really something beautiful.

Spanning from nature pieces like ‘Ness Walk’ and ‘Tree of Life’, to paintings from the Kirkby Chronicles series, the ‘Transitions’ exhibit was nothing short of excellent, and offered something for everyone to enjoy.

Hopefully we get to see a lot more of Steve’s work in the future.

To view Steve’s work in full, and for information regarding illustrative commissions, please visit the artist’s website at: https://www.steverandallart.com/