Bio
Steven Neil Flinchum grew up on the family farm in Taylor County, near the heart of Kentucky. After college, Steven traveled around the country, trying his hand at such diverse jobs as blackjack dealing in Las Vegas and offshore oil rigging in the Gulf of Mexico. But like the oak and poplar that serve as his medium, Steven’s roots are set deeply in the rolling, limestone-rich hills of central Kentucky. He returned to the home place and established Shadoway.
Located on the artist’s family farm of six generations, the studio is surrounded by the inspiring beauty of the natural world. Taught by his parents to love and respect the land, trees and wildlife, Steven personifies these feelings in each piece he creates. The studio itself is built from timbers salvaged from an 1870’s railroad trestle. Steven also used steel beams salvaged from a local industry to support the roof system. He attached the beams with fasteners that he designed and patented.
Steven has been turning wood for over two decades. He has taught woodturning to adults and children, and provides turning demonstrations at community festivals and craft fairs. Steven is a member of the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Janice Holt Giles Foundation, where he is involved in the restoration and preservation of the author’s log home as well as the promotion of the literary arts. In his spare time, Steven enjoys writing, photography, and cruising Kentucky’s scenic back roads on his vintage motorcycle.