Steve Hessler paints representational landscapes in traditional oils on stretched canvas and gessoed panels. Much of his work is painted plein air, although he also paints from sketches and photographs in his studio. "What appeals to me about outdoor painting is the opportunity to create quick, uncomplicated images of places about which I have strong feelings."  Such places include the Carrboro Mill Village in North Carolina where he lived before moving to Floyd, Virginia in 2021, and the Atlantic coast especially Core Sound, the Chesapeake Bay, and The Low Country with their abundance of working boats.

      One of his painting heroes, British artist Trevor Chamberlain, puts it this way,  "A painting is about loving  something." Hessler  loves  simple vernacular structures sitting in the landscape and the lines of handmade working boats.

      Attendance at workshops led by such well-known American artists as Tim Bell, John Poon, Cathy Odom, and Larry Moore has sharpened Hessler's eye and emboldened him to simply stop and paint when an image grabs him by the throat.  "This is always how it is... you'll be walking or driving along and a scene will catch your eye... sometimes it is only a glimpse... but it will be right compositionally and tonally."