William Steve Seltzer

1955 - 0000

Born in Great Falls, Montana, Steve Seltzer grew up drawing and painting, influenced by the art of his grandfather Olaf C. Seltzer and his close friend Charlie Russell, whose styles are apparent in Steve Seltzer’s early paintings. Steve Seltzer decided to pursue his lifelong interest in becoming an artist after graduating from Montana State University with a degree in architecture and spending a year working as a designer. Seltzer moved to Southern California, where he shared a studio with his brother-inlaw, impressionist Dan McCaw, for five years. The influence of McCaw and other impressionist painters Seltzer met during his time in Southern California is apparent and very intentional in his work. “I love the surface quality of the impressionist’s oil paintings and I have been trying to incorporate that look and feel with a more stylized approach,” says Seltzer.

Steve Seltzer returned to his roots in Montana many years ago. His paintings are predominately of Plains Indians Steve Seltzer is just one of two artists to be admitted into all 35 C. M. Russell Auctions, winning the Auction's 1998 Scriver Award, the 2000 Artist's Choice Award, and the 2003 Best of Show Award.

On a side note, Olaf Seltzer and Charlie Russell liked to paint together and it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between their paintings. But, there can be a big difference in the value of the two artists’ paintings. Besides being an accomplished artist in his own right, Steve Seltzer is an expert on his grandfather’s work, as was evidenced when a jury awarded him more than $21 million in a countersuit against a collector and law firm who sued him, wrongly claiming that a painting was by Charlie Russell, which Steve had correctly identified as his grandfather’s work.

RETURNING OF THE WAR PARTY Oil on Canvas 18 x 24 inches