Meet Steve

Steve Mayse was one of my favorite teachers at KCAI.

Besides being great at what he does, I have yet to come across another storyteller like him.

So naturally, I am extremely excited to interview him!

1. Name, Astrology sign, and location please.

steve mayse, cancer (july 12, '46), 7515 allman, lenexa, ks. 66217

2. What are you currently working on?

currently working on and chairing the complete re-build of the illustration department at kcai. this last year was our first graduates 

(and complete program with sophs, jrs and srs) and our numbers in the program were the largest on campus (approx. 120, total). i have great people helping me. currently, also i have some limited time to return to my work in the studio.

3. Who are your favorite artists?

jim dine, larry rivers and robert rauschenberg are responsible for the process direction of my work. that started in graduate school at the university of kansas ('71-'74) and jim rowland (artist/educator/chair of design at ku, at the time) that suggested to me to mix my ability to draw and paint with my carpentry skills. he said, after a short discussion about my varied skill set, "have you ever thought about painting with a hammer?" he told me to look at the above artists, and my life was forever changed. thanks, jim rowland for your insight, your care and thoughtfulness. a piece on my blog (of the same title) is a piece that i gave to him as a gift some 40 years later. 

4. What's the best advice you ever received about your career choice?

that if doing art for a living was easy, everyone would be doing it. understanding that it was difficult, made me work harder

5. Favorite place(s) in your city?

our home, first, then any road heading out of the city on my motorcycle.

6. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? And while we're at it, what about a different era?

we lived in sydney, australia ('76) for a short while - amazing place. i did a wooden sculpture in prague ('07) for 3 months. that was an interesting place, also. either of those 2 places or new york city, if money is no object.

7. What do you usually mindlessly doodle? (do you have a picture of this?)

i mindlessly doodle connected squares in faculty meetings - no pictures of this - i throw them away :(

8. First website you peruse of the day?

none.

9. What's the worst movie you've ever seen, but secretly love?

i have no idea - sounds like a confused scenerio. cinema paradiso is one of my favorites.

10. Any pets? Any kids? pets? 

kansas and sasnak, both decesased but great dogs. we brought kansas back with us from australia ('77) and after her, we got sasnak (kansas backwards). 

kids - 4. shayne (44), summer jade (36), macklen wood (30) and teale sterling (26) - latter 3, named after our wedding ring materials.

Thank you so much Steve, and I am thoroughly envious of your home and studio!

You can find more here