Steve Alpert, Painter

“Painting is my reverie, my serenity, my never-ending pursuit of who I am.”

Steve Alpert is an American fine art painter. Alpert’s quest for adventure, his curiosity of the unknown and his perception of his personal shortcomings, have been the inspiration for much of his artwork. At the age of 19 Alpert hitchhiked across the country. His discovery of the high plains, deserts, canyons, coast and mountains had a powerful impact. For years Alpert has filed these memories to be revisited once again when he puts his brush to the canvas. Alpert captures the forever changing and fluid dynamic of nature, the romance and the beauty, as witnessed in the moving, ethereal and often vibrant depictions of his skies, seas and open spaces. Painting landscapes is visceral for Alpert and his images are a reconstructed map of his visual and emotional life.
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Alpert’s military images are a reflection of another defining chapter in the artist’s life. The high draw of a lottery number meant that Alpert was not called to serve in the Vietnam War. To many this would be considered good fortune, to Alpert it has been an albatross, accompanied by a deep sense of guilt and responsibility to his fellow man that he was not able to fulfill. Alpert saw it as a personal calling when the United States was attacked on that fateful day on September 11, 2001. He started painting military images - Black Hawk helicopters, soldiers in combat, an Air Force Honor Guard carrying a flag-draped coffin across the tarmac, an image of ghostly foot soldiers crossing an amber field. These are paintings Alpert feels compelled to make to honor those who serve. They do not carry a political view. That is not their purpose, but to raise consciousness about men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces. They are created as a way for Alpert to give back. Alpert has raised generous sums of money for military causes and has spent more than two decades trying to make a meaningful and emotive connection between civilians and the military through his art. Most recently, he was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Distinguished Citizen Award. These military paintings are the foundation of the artist’s collection.
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Alpert’s third gallery of paintings are portraits. He would say that his ultimate challenge as a painter is to tell another human’s life story in one single image - to try to communicate the tragedy, triumph, courage and intelligence of a life. Alpert sees it as a tremendous responsibility and has spent years alone working on one single individual, most notably “The Portrait of a Soldier.” Alpert’s portraits are of people and animals that stirred him, moved him, influenced him and motivated him. They are of his dogs, his family, Presidents, Senators, female Air Force pilots, athletes and leaders who have touched Alpert’s life in immeasurable ways.
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Alpert was born and raised in New York. He worked for many years as a television producer and editor before turning to painting full time and today his artwork can be found in the homes and offices of well-known personalities including military Generals and pilots, Actors and corporate CEO’s. Alpert currently resides with his wife and dog between their two homes in Manhattan and Quogue, Long Island.