Stephan Whittle (1953 - 2000) was born in Leeds, England. He began etching at Chelsea School of Art, London in 1970, and continued at Brighton College of Art, from which he received an honors degree in Fine Art in 1975. He spent the following few years in Switzerland and England working as an artist, teacher and graphic designer. In 1980, he established his etching studio near Skelmersdale, Lancashire and began exhibiting in major galleries in London, Tokyo, Paris, Frankfurt, and New York.

Always in search of a new challenge and broader horizons, Whittle moved his studio to Iowa in 1992. His arrival in America inspired him to utilize brighter colors and create larger pieces, all the while developing a method of embossing designs around the borders of his etched images. In 1997, the Whittle family relocated to Northern California where Stephan began a series of etchings depicting vineyard and wine related themes. A much admired artist and inspired observer of the world that surrounded him, Stephan Whittle tragically passed away in a boating accident at Angora Lakes, Tahoe in 2000, survived by his wife and their two children.