Steven grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he would read comic books and draw superheroes all the time. When Steven was 16 years old he met Burne Hogarth who encouraged him to continue drawing and who would later write a letter of recommendation for Steven to attend The School of Visual Arts in NYC. Steven embarked on a successful illustration career in the editorial market and soon found his way into children’s books. Steven created art for a variety of titles for the Smithsonian Institution Oceanic Collection, winning many awards for that work. His versatility also enabled him to create work for the TONKA book series. He believes that any subject he is asked to illustrate demands the creation of the best images to tell the story in the most interesting way. He works in both traditional and digital media.

Steven has done school visit programs and workshops for many years. He has taught illustration at Marist College and continues to teach Art & Design in the Department of Art & Digital Media. He promotes art in the Hudson Valley as a member of many arts organizations, having served as board president for Barrett Art Center and participated in conferences as a panelist for SCBWI, Empire State Book Festival, Hudson Book Festival and The Millbrook Literary Festival. Steven was recognized by the NYS librarians in 2012 when he received the Rip VanWinkle Award for his contribution to children’s literature in the Hudson Valley. He is developing art for stories he has written while continuing to illustrate picture books for other authors. “Illustration is a unique art form that brings words to life. It enhances text and transports readers to anywhere the imagination leads them. I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to share my talent and skill with people all over the world.”

In addition to the links above, you can learn more about Steven’s work at sjpetruccio.blogspot.com, picturebookartists.org and storybookartsinc.com!