#hashtagartmag @gregoryferrandart #narrativepainting #contemporaryart #figurativeart
@gregoryferrandart
#bio
Gregory Ferrand is a narrative painter from Washington, DC who pulls on influences as wide ranging as comics, Mexican muralists, and 1950’s fashion to create paintings that reveal the beauty of living.
#2019shows
Scenic Overlook, Evoke Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM. Alley Cats, Brassworks Gallery, Portland, OR Superfine! DC, Adah Rose Gallery, Washington, DC Revelry, Evoke Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
“I want my work to connect
with the viewer either emotionally or because in it they recognize some universal truth about what it means to be human and can identify with it.”
#inspiration
Some of the places in which I find inspiration are family, politics, history, music, film, literature, color, the living of life, truth, hypocrisy, facades, willful obliviousness, and deliberate distortions of reality.
#concept
I’ve always found our need to hide fundamental truths about ourselves from one another; whether it’s personal, familial, societal, national, to be deeply troubling. While at first the suppression of our true selves may seem to be beneficial for our well-being, somewhere down the line the harmful consequences of self-repression and disconnection always manifests itself. I think that having the opportunity to experience the truth about something that has been hidden is liberating and, in some ways, beautiful. I strive to make art that tells simple truths about the complex nature of living. Above: I Had A Dream That You Were Mine) acrylic on canvas 24x30
@gregoryferrandart
Comic books and stop motion animation led me to art school where I discovered that I knew very little about art and not much more about myself. There, I started as a sculpture major making awful videos and soon after made up my own major that would allow me to study both film and literature. By the end of college, I knew two things about myself: I wanted to tell stories and I had no idea what kind of stories I wanted to tell. I was convinced that I needed to go out into the world to gather experiences that I could later use
#background as a basis for future films, so I bought a plane ticket to Buenos Aires, Argentina and stayed for two years.
While I lived there, I kept an illustrated journal in which I first recorded my daily experiences and later used to experiment with different mediums and to practice telling emotionally driven stories. At the end of my time there I knew that I was a painter and not a filmmaker. In the subsequent 19 years I taught myself how to paint, came to understand the filters through which I see and experience the world, and learned what it is that motivates me to paint.
Above: It IS You (and me too) acrylic on canvas 48x24 Right: He Had Enjoyed the Last 10 Years of Being Totally Irresponsible acrylic on canvas 18x14
@gregoryferrandart
Each painting starts with a very rough sketch that gives me a direction for the composition and is accompanied by some notes that help me flesh out the basic storyline, important details that should be included, and ideas for the color palette. From there I make a more detailed sketch where I work out the final composition and take reference photos (usually of myself, family, or friends) to help me figure out perspective and issues with light. Then I do a very detailed drawing and
#process
color study in Photoshop that I use as a guide while painting.
The final step before painting, is pre-mixing all of the colors and tones since I work with acrylics and do a lot of blending. I use a butcher’s tray as a palette, which I spray regularly with water and put in a heavy-duty plastic bag when I am not working to keep it from drying out. By doing this, the mixed paint is usable for up to at least a month. From there I paint in many layers from the background to the foreground.
#socialmedia
Social media, in particular Instagram, has given me direct access to my audience. With that access I’m able to share in-depth information regarding my artistic journey and painting process, in real time. This has resulted in making connections of all kinds. Connections with other artists where we compare notes on process and business, with collectors in terms of direct sales and commissions, with galleries in regards to exhibitions opportunities and representation, and most importantly with my audience where we can share with each other and remind ourselves that we are not alone.
Above: Sheltering In Place acrylic on canvas 36x36 Left: Oh, What A World! acrylic on canvas 20x20
