Story & photos by NINA CULVER

For Coeur Voice

Coeur d’Alene artist and writer Stephen Shortridge took on the role of narrating Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” at the sold-out Coeur d’Alene Symphony “Family Pictures” concerts on Jan. 24 and 25.

Shortridge spoke to the audience as the musicians played, asking them to “imagine the scene” as he gave voice to Peter, the duck, the bird, the cat and other characters in the tale of brave Peter capturing a wolf.

While most people in Coeur d’Alene know Shortridge for his impressionist paintings and his books, he is no stranger to the stage. In the 1970s and 1908s he had a successful commercial, film and tv career. He played Beau De LaBarre on “Welcome Back, Kotter” and was on “The Bold and the Beautiful” soap opera cast for two years.

But Shortridge never aspired to be an actor. He started out doing modeling in New York, which led to commercials, which led to acting roles. By the late 1980s, he wanted out and decided to leave California and focus on his true love, his art.

“I always did art,” he said. “I even did art as an actor.”

He can trace his love of art to his childhood. “When I was in third grade my teacher told my parents I was talented in the arts,” he said.

He remembers receiving several books on art and for the next Christmas, how to draw, as his parents tried to encourage his talents. But Shortridge assumed he could never make a living as an artist.

While living in California, he and his late wife Cathy owned several Hidden Cottage gift shops. The shops were successful, which allowed him to focus more time on his art. The couple moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1990 and Shortridge has been grateful for that ever since.

“I’m happy to have left LA,” he said. “I was successful. Success in that area usually means destruction in different areas of your life. I’m happy to have left acting. It’s a tough business.”

The couple ran The Painter’s Chair Fine Art Gallery in Coeur d’Alene for many years while Shortridge continued painting. “It’s like anything else,” he said. “You get better with practice.”

Several years ago his wife became ill and The Painters Chair closed in 2016. She died in 2017.

While he may not own a gallery anymore, Shortridge has continued painting. He said art helps him be more child-like, which he said everyone should aspire to be. “I can get away with that because I’m an artist. “They don’t expect you to behave,” he said.

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“I think when we were five, we were better people. We had more hope and more trust and more fun.” - Stephen Shortridge

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He has tried to immerse himself in other creative pursuits over the years. He got a cello and took music lessons, but found that his dyslexia interfered with his ability to learn to read music. He also started writing books. His first, “Created Creator,” was a coffee table book of his art. In 2013 he wrote “Deepest Thanks, Deepest Apologies,” which he describes as an artist’s view on faith.

His latest book, which he self-published, is “A Finger-painted Life: Letters From a Painted Chair.” The book includes 26 letters from himself to a younger artist. “I wrote from me to me, some of my experience and some of my wisdom,” he said.

He’d never done any voice over or narration work until he was contacted by the symphony. “I thought it would really be a fun challenge,” he said.

He said he enjoyed meeting conductor Jan Pellant and participating in the rehearsals. “It was really fun to watch the process,” said Shortridge. “When we see the finished work, we don’t know the work that went into it.”

Members of his family, including his mother and grandchildren, attended the performances. “You always want to make your mom proud,” he said.

Doing something new like narration coincides with other changes happening in Shortridge’s life. He plans to marry his fiancé, Sally, soon. He wants to focus more on his writing and has several more book ideas percolating. He also wants to make changes to his art.

“I’m definitely not going to paint what I used to paint,” he said. “I want to be inspired by something new. I don’t want to paint to sell. I want to paint from my heart.”

Shortridge’s paintings can be found at the Blackwell Gallery in downtown Coeur d’Alene.