Moving Art

“Steve Schnier’s lenticular art offers the viewer a little jolt of warm, gently ironic nostalgia and even an oblique commentary on the evolving nature of pop culture, while being fun to look at and examine. Something easy to live with without being about pretty landscapes or white stallions running in the surf. In other words, it’s never boring.” – Arnie Lipsey, Artist

Lenticular Art

Every painting starts with a layout, a blueprint of its final form. For lenticular paintings, Steve creates two layouts representing key positions, drawing from classical hand-drawn animation techniques. These layouts are transferred to 140 lb. Arches hot-press watercolour paper and painted with acrylics.

A wooden matrix is built to hold the strips of paintings at right angles to each other. Once the paintings are done, they are sliced into 2 cm strips and laminated onto the matrix. Precision is crucial; inaccurate cuts can ruin the work. Custom tools ensure precise slicing. Each painting, composed of over 100 segments, is assembled without room for error due to the fast-drying adhesive used. After the painting slices have been attached to the matrix, they are hand trimmed.

Each lenticular painting takes between two to four weeks to complete.

Gallery of Lenticular Art

”One of my biggest challenges is finding two images that work together to tell a story.”

Red Skirt / White Polka Dots

42” h x 34” w Acrylic on Arches hot press watercolour paper laminated onto a hand-laid wooden matrix. Inspired by the 1980’s dance movies, “Flash Dance”, “Dirty Dancing”, and “Fame”. 2025

Shake It Up, Baby

24” h x 34” w Acrylic on 140 lb. Acrylic on Arches hot press watercolour paper laminated onto a hand-laid wooden matrix. While searching for reference photos of vintage dancers, Steve came across an image of a very awkward couple and animated / extrapolated their dance moves. 2025

Marcello

19” h x 24” w Acrylic on 140 lb. Acrylic on Arches hot press watercolour paper laminated onto a hand-laid wooden matrix. The painting is a combination of travel images and half-remembered scene from “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (which when Steve rewatched the movie, wasn’t the way he remembered it). 2024

Fab Four: RED

27” diameter (framed). Acrylic on Arches hot press watercolour paper laminated onto a hand-laid wooden matrix. The first in Steve’s tribute series of Vari-Vue “flicker” badges featuring the Beatles. 2024

Strut

17” x 17” Acrylic on 140 lb. Acrylic on Arches hot press watercolour paper laminated onto a hand-laid wooden matrix. A motion study based on a vintage photo of a fashion model strutting on the catwalk. 2024

Lenticular Study #1

10.5” x 12.5” Acrylic on 140 lb. Acrylic on Arches hot press watercolour paper laminated onto a hand-laid wooden matrix. Animated poses of a woman gesturing with a cigarette. Based on a photo of 1950’s fashion icon Victoria Von Hagen. 2023

Vespa

24” h x 40” w Acrylic on 140 lb. Acrylic on Arches hot press watercolour paper laminated onto a hand-laid wooden matrix. For this painting, Steve chose to revisit the source material from “Marcello”, but to paint the bike and passengers in greater details without the background. 2025