Polly Gray Portrait-Inspired by Helen McCrory in Peaky Blinders Painting

My work is about process. My daily painting studio practice allows me to process my life. I paint every day, regardless of whatever is happening. My painting process has taught me about discernment, structure, about listening and knowing when to act on impulse, taking risks, or holding back, allowing and about my own resilience. Many paintings have taken years, even decades to be complete, where as other paintings take root with a specific intention and can be completed in a couple of weeks. My painting studio practice is my full time concern. My paintings are my relationships, my children, and my connection to god. I work with acrylic and mixed media. My work often includes dense, textured layers, hidden imagery, collage with vintage text and photographs. I love to incorporate ink, charcoal, spray paint and oil depending on the project. My paintings are saturated in bold colors, complex to the surface and usually sealed in layers of high gloss coatings. I have been painting for 29 years. I didn’t attend art school but studied multiple subjects and earned a BA degree in Dance. I have had a couple of outstanding teachers and mentors along the way and continue to learn by experimentation. My work resides in private and public collections around the world.