He was born in the hometown of Albrecht Durer (Nurnberg, Germany) on the birthday of his heroes, Winslow Homer, Charles Le Brun and Franz Von Stuck, and felt a calling from early childhood to become a painter.
Stephen and his two sisters were raised in Newburgh, Indiana by a single mother who worked full-time at a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant.
His aunt Marilyn gave him oil painting lessons at twelve, and his mother bought him books on figure drawing and supplies when she found them.