It is not Stephen's thing to abstract the world around him. His challenge is to capture the "essence of life", the unseen, without using words or identifiable objects. Stephen believes when a person is moved by his paintings, it is a "pure" experience, a communion, between the viewer and the painting, and on a deeper level, himself. This experience is not limited or influenced by words, places or things. It is beyond language, beyond differences, beyond dogma, beyond any and all association to the outside world. Therefore, what takes place is a private, personal conversation between the viewer and the painting, and he enjoys being the initiator of a profound natural experience of self-exploration. He believes that's where Freedom is found.