About the artist – Stewart B. Leavitt

Born and raised in Chicago, Stewart Leavitt had what others called a talent for art.

In the 1960s he received classical art training followed by specialization in medical illustration at the University of Illinois. But multiple advanced degrees in a variety of disciplines led him on a career path away from art. 

Stewart would spend the next 30 years as a medical writer and researcher. The focus of his entrepreneurial work from the late 1990s until his retirement in 2014 was on pain and the medications used to treat and manage it.

In May of 2013, Stewart was diagnosed with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Over the subsequent months and years, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments halted the spread of and stabilized his cancer. But the cancer and its treatments left him with neuropathic pain that encircled his upper body.

Stewart returned to painting in early 2014 determined to practice a looser style of work: More impressionistic, expressive and abstract rather than doing realistic interpretations of the subject at hand. He wanted to convey a sense of excitement, drama and emotion in his art.

The artwork created by Stewart during his illness – over 150 paintings, sketches and concept paintings – not only provided a creative outlet but was also medically beneficial to him. He was often less anxious when he painted or sketched and there was a noticeable reduction in pain.

Stewart passed away in February of 2016 at the age of 70 leaving a trove of paintings that speak to the concept of human interaction and relationships; serendipity and spontaneity; joy in the process of creation and hope.

“It seemed better to return late in life, rather, than not at all, to my love of painting; even though it meant pushing through the endless pain and fatigue. Indeed, it has been worth the struggle.”

Stewart B. Leavitt