Growing up in various places across the northern United States, Stephen enjoyed stormy weather. A storm’s affect upon daily routines dwarfs the mundane with torrential fury, and in the vulnerability felt during the storm’s passing, he felt a warm sense of the nearness of God. Upon seeing the ocean’s stretching horizon for the first time, Stephen began dreaming of one day sailing into stormy weather. Fascinated with ships, he sharpened his drawing skills sketching sea-going vessels and drawing up plans for boats and rafts. After moving to Idaho, a nearby river invited him to try building one of his rafts. Logs lashed together with bark and brambles quickly broke apart in the pitching rapids of the South Fork Payette River.  Stephen had to swim to shore. For now, sailing to sea would have to wait. 

When Stephen graduated from high school, sea storms still tugged at his heart. He enlisted in the Navy with dreams of experiencing the watery wasteland, but was given orders to a shore billet in Hawaii instead. During this time, voluntary graphic design projects began to revive the artist’s landlocked soul. Upon fulfillment of his military contract, he decided to leave the Navy and either sail to sea in a yellow inflatable dingy, or attend college to study art. In 2022 Stephen graduated from Southern Adventist University with a BFA in Fine Art. He has yet to find a suitable yellow dingy.