Local man shows it’s never too late to pursue a passion as he starts a new career as artist
A local man is trading in the blueprints for a canvas and a paintbrush, taking one career and creating another.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KSNT) – A local man is trading in the blueprints for a canvas and a paintbrush, taking one career and creating another.
Steven Moser is a Manhattan High and K-State grad with an engineering degree, but engineering wasn’t his only focus.
“I had some free time and so I took half a dozen art courses,” Moser said.
Even though he knew art was always his passion, he had other responsibilities.
“I had four kids and they all wanted to go to college,” he said laughing.
He picked up paintbrush anyways and before he knew it painting became a hobby.
He spent nearly 40 years as an architectural engineer and then as a professor at K-State.
However, he’s not ready for retirement yet.
“Now I’ve got a third career, I feel like I’m the freshest 62-year-old I know because I’m starting a business.”
He is showing others it’s never too late to do what you love.
“I’m on a steep learning curve. I still have no idea where this is all headed.”
But he is headed to places across the state and country.
“I take everything with me and make a couple of stops on the way,” he said. “Every day I paint at least one painting, some days 2 paintings and drive for 12 hours and stop for 2 hours and paint.”
He’s meshing his two passions, painting and being an engineer.
“To me, it’s just phenomenal to think about it as an engineer how many gallons per minute of water is in the air,” Moser said of his painting of the J C Nichols Memorial Fountain in Kansas City.
He tries to send a message with each painting.
“I try to paint a lot based on things like trust or a concept of love, a concept of peace and tranquility.”
While he still tries to figure out where this is all heading, he knows one thing, he’ll never stop.
“I don’t need any motivation, I have 100 paintings that I want to do.”
You can find Moser’s paintings at the Bluestem Bistro in Manhattan as he and photographer Tony Ridder have teamed up.
You’ll find Moser’s paintings and Ridder’s photographs of the same place.