Artistic Wonder
For Valley artist Steven DeWitt Perrin, there was nothing in the world that could stop him from pursuing his creative passion—not even his visual impairment and hearing disability.
Born with congenital progressive auditory neuropathy and congenital progressive optic atrophy, Perrin struggled back and forth with what he wanted to be growing up. He dabbled in everything from sports, military school, creative writing and illustration to even fashion modeling and acting. However, nothing quite sparked his interest and intrigued him more than the aesthetic of art did. “To me, art is what one does creatively in life and thinking outside the normal realm, thinking deeper than what the eyes and hands can see, touch or feel,” Perrin
says. “Art is simply the language of the soul.”
Perrin specializes in contemporary expressionism paintings and currently runs his own gallery in Cave Creek where he showcases his work as well as others’ masterpieces. Despite his disabilities, he overcame his own fears of how the public, publications and other artists would perceive him and positively continues to celebrate the spirit of independent expression with each piece he creates. “I am after the emotions and the textures, personifying inanimate objects or nature, using my spray water bottle on my canvas like rain on land, which in turn blossoms new growth, new ideas and new challenges,” Perrin says.
With a tremendous amount of support from family and friends and inspiration from all around, the artist puts all of his passion into every brush stroke. He incorporates a story in each of his paintings to share his meanings and experiences as well. “My narratives are true stories and are not written to sell my art,” Perrin says. “When I create a painting and finally decide to let go of it and put it up for sale, I am also letting go a part of my spirit, my heart and all the memories and feelings I associate with it.”
Perrin has had numerous spotlights and successes over the years including being exclusively invited to exhibit his artwork at the 2008 NFL Super Bowl XLII Tailgate Party in Glendale and has painted several murals at Grayhawk Elementary School in North Scottsdale. He has also judged various art competitions and taught after-school art classes throughout Cave Creek and Paradise Valley.
Beyond work, Perrin loves outdoor activities (he’s learning to hang glide and canyoneer), attending food festivals, collecting plants and spending time with his two bulldogs, Boojum Blaze Perrin and Gonzo Chazz Perrin, and his cat, Scratch Perrin.
