Lower-middle class, blue-collar working family. Found my talent in art and pursued it, with the help of family and a few good teachers. I passed on college scholarships, I wanted to do my own thing. Struggled most my life, but, by God’s grace, I have been preserved; kept around to create artwork another day, another week, another year, hopefully. I’m still going. Like that old, weathered oak tree by the river, I’m still hanging in there. I paint a lot. I illustrate quite often. I have ideas on top of ideas, projects beyond projects… I’m cursed with a never-ending creation engine in my head that just won’t let me be. Sleep is scarce and precious. Robots are pursuing me, wolves nipping at my feet, thieves devising plans – all creating a current that I must push against for survival. I see the world in vivid colors, through a fish-eyed lens, always observing and taking mental notes and cues. My creative ‘warehouse’ is massive, extensive and spans many topics. I was one of the guys doing the job of Google images and AI imaging software long before those things even existed. This is a time for my own refinement. This is the era of instant results and cheap knock-offs from foreign lands. I am the opposite – I am an American craftsman, taking the time to create unique work – work that shows my mind, my eye, my hand. If genuine work appeals to you, if you desire to turn away from the cheap and fake things of this world, I invite you to join me in my cause. I prefer to make lasting relationships with authentic people. As with the old masters, my patrons are my livelihood, and most appreciated to keep me going, keep me encouraged, keep me striving. –GR