Noblesville’s own Steve Wariner embraces his ‘Flip Side’ as visual artist

GRAMMY Award-winning artist and Noblesville native Steve Wariner is showcasing his “flip side” as a visual artist.

What few know is that he has been drawing and painting for as long as he’s been making music, and he’s pursued these parallel passions for the majority of his life. Painting is his sanctuary and his escape, and now, at 71, he will stage a stunning 60-piece solo art exhibit that spans more than 30 years of his artistic work.

The country music star has performed professionally since his teens and is widely admired for his emotional vocals, songwriting, and virtuoso guitar playing, landing him membership in the Musicians Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.

Simultaneous to his music career, Wariner has devoted his time and talents as a gifted visual artist whose prolific output includes paintings in acrylic, oil, watercolor, and encaustic.

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center in Hendersonville, Tenn., will shine a spotlight on Wariner’s visual art in The Flip Side: Paintings by Steve Wariner. The solo exhibit, on view June 21 through July 26, is his largest to date and will feature 60 of his works.

Wariner’s willingness to take risks in the pursuit of art and music has become something of a guiding principle. For him, perfectionism is the enemy of creativity.

“I learned a long time ago that you have to write 50 songs to get 10 good ones, and the same is true of painting,” he said.

Wariner makes a point of painting every day, taking time off only when he has to prepare for a concert. He will typically spend a couple of days working on a watercolor. Other media require more time.

Wariner’s watercolor style is loose and spontaneous, resulting in images he refers to as “washy.” His preferred subjects often reflect the people and places he has seen during his many travels as a musician. Rural landscapes, seascapes, portraits, and guitars often figure prominently in his paintings. Another focus are his paintings of family and musicians, like the watercolor “Happy New Year, Dad” depicting his father’s band onstage at the Noblesville American Legion, ringing in 1963.

The Flip Side: Paintings by Steve Wariner is an expansive and eclectic mix of visual art works, spanning decades and subjects connecting viewers to Wariner and his stories beyond his impactful music, filling them with curiosity and a sense of peace.

“I don’t want to be limited to just one thing,” he said. “Versatility is my style.”