Steve Schaaf is a Bay Area artist and longtime San Francisco business owner whose work reflects a lifelong passion for creativity, color, and self-expression. Born and raised in San Francisco, Steve owned and operated a successful business in the city’s South of Market neighborhood for more than 30 years, while also pursuing his love of music and art. He and his wife raised three children, and after years of balancing family life, business, music, and creative interests, Steve eventually found the time to devote himself more fully to painting.
A longtime bass guitarist, Steve performed with various bands throughout the Bay Area for many years. After stepping away from regular performances in 2015 and retiring in 2017, he turned his full attention to painting—an interest he had carried with him since childhood.
Steve is a self-taught oil painter and has been a member of the Jean Henry School of Art since 2017. Working primarily in oils, he enjoys exploring different styles and is especially drawn to bold color, atmosphere, and expressive composition. His paintings are inspired by landscape, mood, and the beauty of everyday scenes interpreted through his own artistic lens.