Abstract artist Marian Steen vividly remembers the moment that ignited her lifelong passion for telling a personalized tale through her art. “In third grade, I received a shimmering gold star on one of my paintings,” she says with an infectious grin. What may seem like a small act of grade-school recognition to some is a cherished moment by the now wildly successful and innovative painter whose colorful creations tell stories decades in the making.