Born in Texas and raised in Tennessee, Steffi Sutton has pursued art throughout her life. While in kindergarten in Germany, her teacher predicted she would become an artist. She earned a BFA in Graphic Design and a minor in Photography from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. After graduating, Steffi returned to Nashville to work with small design firms. In 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, she traveled to Europe, visiting family and meeting East German relatives newly able to visit the West. Her solo travels took her to Santorini, Greece, and Istanbul, Turkey.

Steffi spent a decade living and working in New York City before moving to California. A near-fatal accident involving a Joshua Tree spike reignited her passion for art. Fire has been a recurring theme in her life: her sister survived a car accident with severe burns, prompting Steffi’s relocation to California in 2000. She also lost her 1947 cabin in Pioneertown from the Sawtooth Fire of 2006. Discovering pyrography felt like a natural progression, allowing her to incorporate fire into her art. She enjoys the unique qualities it brings to her line work, often using repurposed wood and patinaed frames, combining paint and fire on various surfaces.

Steffi’s whimsical works often feature themes from mythology, astrology, science, and fable. The sun, moon, and fire frequently appear in her exploration of time’s passage. Her focus remains on the human form, especially the female figure, blending anatomical elements with figurative lines to create dynamic perspectives reminiscent of Baroque art. While her themes vary, she consistently returns to the human figure, seeking to understand its place in the world and her own.