Untitled (Still Life)

Often cited as the last Northwest mystic, Jay Steensma is considered to be the last of the Northwest school, so named in the 1950's for the earth-colored, Eastern philosophy rooted paintings of nature and abstraction that characterized the works of Mark Tobey, Guy Anderson and Morris Graves. Jay Steensma was prolific in his lifetime, constantly drawing and painting. Despite the onset of manic-depressive illness which plagued him until his death, Steensma kept up a frenetic work schedule which resulted in thousands of works on paper, canvas, and related materials.  His draftsmanship and composition are always present in his emotionally haunting and existential works.