watercolor for him, a cowboy riding a bucking
bronc, with dirt flying. I’ll do watercolors for
gifts. For charities they are expecting guitars
signed, but I’ll be like, “Here’s some art that I
did”. It’s really a curve ball for charity work.
[WM] You’ve collaborated in songwriting with
Nashville’s best, and have been covered as a
co-writer and solo writer by Merle Haggard,
Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, Clint Black, and so
many more exceptional artists. Was it difficult
for you to learn how to move your thoughts
to your heart, and from your heart to your
fingertips in songwriting?
[Steve] Wow, that’s really well said. I think that
was the hardest lesson for me writing when I
was younger. I would go into these meetings
with publishers and they’d go like, “That was
good, but…” and I’d walk away and go, “Darn
it. I’m not hitting this”. One thing I learned those
songwriters have to be really brave. They are
bearing their soul. You are really exposing
yourself. I was always afraid if co-writing with
someone and feeling like, “I’m not going to
say this, I want to say this”, but that’s not what
bearing your soul means. It got to a point where
I just said I’m throwing it out, slinging it out. I’m
saying what’s in my heart.
I’ve been laughed at a couple times, “seriously
you’re saying that”. Well, ok that’s what I
“Chet” - a watercolor painting by Steve Wariner
who does that for sort of a living. My brother
meant. I learned to just basically bear my soul
and not giving you a you-know-what. It is what
and forth.
it is. I really started writing for me. I was just
Terry draws. My brother Kenny paints. We’ve
always thought that’s what everybody did. As a This is my latest thing that I’ve done. I took a totally writing for myself and we were lucky to
young kid I used to draw and paint and always photograph out west at a pow wow I went to. have hits, to have number ones. I was like I’m
gravitated towards watercolors. I do paint, not It’s pretty good size for a watercolor. I shot this so grateful and lucky. We were on a roll and I
in oils so much, but in acrylic medium some, picture of a guy dancing in Lander, Wyoming. never thought about pitching it to anyone else.
mainly watercolors. I’ve always loved it. I did a This is my favorite thing that I’ve done. I did Then one day my wife Karen said, “You know
show a few years ago at the Tennessee State a painting for Garth (Brooks) as a gift. I did a you should really throw these songs at other
Museum, really my first big show I ever did. I’ve artists”. I go, “Well, you know, they are really for
done a few shows over the years. It’s more like me, I tailor them and I don’t even think about
a hobby for me. It’s more like therapy in a lot of anyone else. We are on a roll, why would I”?
ways. That pool house out there, I just started She kept nudging me and I threw a couple out
slowly moving my stuff, my easel, over there. If there and we got this response. I was really
I’m feeling burnt out on songs I’ll go out there shocked to be honest. The first song I shot out
and I got the waters out there. I’ll paint for a few there an artist picked up my song and did it and
I was like, “Oh my God. They are interested in
days then go back to music. I’ll kind of go back
Steve Wariner Producer’s Medley
28
December 2019
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