#MCCOTInterview {25}
Steven Weinberg, the NYC-born Artist who fell in love with the Catskills Mountains
Born and raised in NYC, after travelling the world for a while, a decade ago, American Multitasking Artist Steven Weinberg moved in the middle of the Catskills Park in the Delaware County. Since 2014, the polyhedral and prolific painter, writer and illustrator is the happy co-owner of the one-of-a-kind Spruceton Inn: a catskills bed and bar. As his wife, the writer and grafic designer, Casey Scieszka manages the business as the Innkeeper, he is in charge of the Artist Residency. Husband, he is also father of two young daughters who often inspire him the funny kid's books, he is the author of. From 1th September to 31 October 2022, his new collection of paintings intitled 'Mountains' will be exhibited at the Clove & Creek's store in the Historic Waterfront District of Kingston in the Big Apple. The perfect occasion for all the moutains's lovers to admire the Weinberg's beautiful tribute to the Catskills Moutains which surround his family home and the ones he literaly fell in love with. Le'ts meet a funny talented and lucky guy from NY who is enjoying a happy, slow and creative living in harmony with Mother Nature. What more could he ask for?
By Hélène Battaglia
Who are you?
Steven Weinberg. I’m a painter. I write and illustrate kids’ books. I co-run an inn and artist residency with my wife in the Catskills. So depending on when you ask, I’m a handful of things!
How and when did you find your own path in life?
Still a work in progress for sure! It absolutely helped moving up to the Catskills from Brooklyn nearly a decade ago. I made art when I lived in New York City, but none of it felt connected to a bigger idea or body of work. Now I paint the views outside my house and the fish I catch. It’s all about this place and how it’s always changing. The endlessness of that kind of path sounds pretty good to me.
You write children’s books. When did you know you wanted to write for the little ones?
One day walking home from school in fifth grade, I remember very clearly realizing it could be my job to just make shit up for a living. (As in, make up stories, paint pictures, and all that.) Since then I’ve been trying to figure out how to do just that. I guess I’ve kept that fifth grader in my mind this whole while, so making art for kids just seemed normal.
Which kind of kid were you?
A middle kid. A lot of extremes. I could be a talk show host and be SUPER social never shutting up. Then I’d want to draw quietly or be in the woods on my own. Then, who knows what? I suppose I’ve always been enjoying multitudes.
Which was your favorite child’s book as a kid?
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Viorst. It’s also the book I try to keep remaking now as adult. It captures the essential unrelenting unfairness of being a kid SO well.
How did you start painting?
I’m sure like most kids: with crayons and by destroying watercolor sets, etc. I just never stopped. But I think I did paint and make art a lot as a kid because I remember being asked quite often “do you want to be an artist when you grow up?” It always seemed like such a weird question. I mean, who wouldn’t?
Is your last collection called ‘Mountains’ a tribute to the Catskill Mountains where you live since a few years?
Absolutely. More than ever I think landscape painting has a real power to document and remind us what is changing in our current climate crisis. I try to think about that wherever I paint—from the canyons of West Texas to the coast of Maine. But these mountains are my favorite. It’s my honor to get to paint them as much as I do.
How was the partnership with Clove & Creek born?
Through the amazing Scott Neild, owner of Clove & Creek. He was a friend before my first show at Clove and Creek in 2017 and an even better friend now! I’m so proud of what he’s done making the place what it is, continually growing it, continually making it somehow better.
You are the happy owner, together with your wife Casey, of a Countryside Inn named ‘Spruceton Inn’. Could you tell us more about this exciting family’s adventure of yours?
Like I keep going on and on about, I love this place. So it’s a delight getting to share it with thousands of guests and now over 60 artist residents. And I should note that my wife Casey really runs the business. I’m chiefly responsible for the hotel art at this point. Overall though, hospitality and the arts feel very naturally related. You’re creating a starting point for someone else’s experience. Endlessly fun. Endlessly challenging!
What is your daily relationship with Mother Nature?
It’s inescapable where I live and I love that about it. I live in the middle of the Catskill Park five miles down a seven-mile dead end road. Mountains surround me. It just rained yesterday after nearly three months of a very VERY dry summer. I realized hiking in the finally-misty woods this morning there were all these smells I’d missed. I know this might be a bit much, but they felt like old friends. I’d really missed them! So I guess you could say it’s a close relationship.
To you, artistic talent is innate, or one can become talented by learning and through hard work?
I think regardless of the talent someone is born with, it’s nothing unless you work at it. I had a great professor in college who was rather obsessed with Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey taken from mythologies around the world. You know, like basically what all of Star Wars is based off of? In other words, Luke Skywalker is not very interesting until he studies and travels. I think that’s pretty universal.
Which kind of dad are you to your two children’s?
I hope a good one! I love the part about working from home where they see all sides of my studio life—especially as I’m just down the hall from their bedrooms. So some days we get to play around and make art all day. Some days, I’m a nervous wreck ignoring everyone else while I race to finish a deadline.
Did you take inspiration for your stories from your personal life?
Without a doubt. Some like my kids’ book 'The Middle Kid' are a thinly veiled autobiography. Some, like the graphic novel I made with my wife about us traveling around the world, To Timbucktu' , are a full-on travelogue. Some, like the Big Jobs board book series I did about the appliances around your house are 3000% inspired by the things my little kids are obsessed with.
All the pictures are Courtesy of Mr Weinberg
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