Steve Rands

About the Artist

Art has been a part of my life since childhood. It emerged as a special gift in an elementary school drawing competition, and evolved consistently through high school. Upon graduating, I explored various art schools, but was deterred by the prospect of incurring mountains of student debt while lacking a voice, and confidence in myself. Ultimately, the need to escape the nest to experience life on my own terms led me to enlist in the United States Navy. My career followed a wild and varied path over the next 25 years that included operating nuclear power plants, flying helicopters, training Iraqi military forces on an oil platform in the Arabian Gulf, and working with the Afghan National Police. Now, having retired from the Navy, I am revisiting the road not taken to rediscover the artist in remission within me. I believe the experience I’ve gained over 5 wartime deployments now empowers that scared, young artist with confidence and something to say. My pieces explore the emotional issues of Veterans in transition, while I explore realism, surrealism, and the abstract through different media. I hope you enjoy my art. LCDR Steve “Scuba” Rands, USN (ret.)