Gerry Grimes
ABOUT THE ARTIST  Let's take care of the easiest part first. I grew up in Oklahoma. I am the oldest son of loving, hard-working parents, and I have a wonderful younger sister, and a brilliant little brother. While in Oklahoma, I received my bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University. Shortly before I graduated, I married my wife who has become my best friend, guide, and encourager for the past forty-six years. Today, we have two beautiful daughters, a great son-in-law, and the four best grandchildren known to all mankind (hey, I'm a grandpa, what do you expect?) After receiving my degree, I found that I had little interest in designing buildings, but that I was good at building them. As a result, for a little more than 57 years, I've worked at various aspects of concrete construction. Recently, due to my age and the economic conditions, we decided to close the business that we started in Atlanta, Georgia in 1986. Now comes the hard part. You'll notice that I haven't said anything about art or having some type of background in it. I have always felt a need to express myself artistically. But, I didn't go to a design school or receive a degree associated with art. And I've never worked for a company that required me to have artistic abilities. But during the years that have passed, that inner hunger was always there, and I always found time to draw or paint. It's true that most of the work that I did was simply for my pleasure. And if I was going to critique it, I would be fairly harsh on myself. But with continued effort, some of the work began to show promise. Surprisingly (at least to myself), others began to notice it and comment favorably. Most surprising of all, some of the people who saw my work began to buy it. Now, I also want to offer it to you. You should know why I paint or draw. I strive to find some form of rhythm and beauty in each subject. And I try for the right colors, values, and composition to match that rhythm and beauty. But the most important aspect of the painting for me is the story that each has to first tell me. Without it, regardless of how simple or complicated the piece is, I can't finish the work. And most of the time, I can't even start it. Hopefully, you will also find the story which I heard -- or perhaps the piece will tell you one of its own. And finally, any expertise in my life has come because I worked with people who openly examined my work. I invite you to do the same with my art. I regularly take art classes for both the training and the pleasure of being around other artists. I also take the courses to allow others to openly judge my work. In doing so, I grow from their critique. If you have a comment you want to make regarding this website or any of the pieces of art that are displayed, please contact me through my email address. It doesn't matter whether you decide to purchase one of my prints or originals or not. Likewise, it doesn't matter if you want to praise my pieces or give them harsh criticism. If you write, I will respond. glgart@comcast.net |