This is an introduction to the art of Greg (Craola) Simkins. He has created his own form of art with appears to be an off-shoot of the “low brow” movement that originated out of California. He is a talented young man that paints a very odd and eclectic mixture of birds and contemporaneous themes all mashed together in a kind of confusing array of post surrealistic nightmares.

His niche is low-brow bird portraiture.

Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins was born in 1975 in Torrance California, just south of Los Angeles. He grew up with a menagerie of animals including a number of rabbits, which often emerge in his paintings. He began drawing at the early age of three and was inspired by various cartoons and books.

Some standout books that still find their way into his art are Watership Down by Richard Adams, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

Why the name The Escape Artist?

The idea of escape is getting lost in a daydream and wandering  through one’s imagination. As I make art, this process is very important  to me. It’s important in the planning stages as I just fill my  sketchbooks with whatever interesting images that entertain me, and it  is important at the composition stage where I lay out these ideas in  their ideal situations so as to move onto the final stage of painting  them.

Once I get to the painting stage, the concept is at most finalized,  but with a bit of room for improvisation. Once I start painting, the  muscle memory and mechanics take over and I will put on music,  audiobooks, movies, podcasts, etc… but generally, find myself zoning out  and falling into the process of painting which can be almost  meditative. Next thing you know and 8 hours have passed by and something  new has been created on the canvas. It’s an awesome feeling being in  that “Escape Zone.” 

Simkins’ art continued to progress to the age of 18, when he started doing graffiti under the name ‘CRAOLA’. Graffiti art became his impetus for creating and gave him the confidence to paint large works. In addition it taught him perspective, color theory and further developed artistic skills, which later translated into his work with acrylics.

What’s an average day in the studio?

Once I get in, I answer emails, go through sketches and draw a little  to warm up, maybe edit some video, finish my coffee, and then sit down  at the easel and pour my paint for the day. Once that is in place, I  will paint as long a stretch as possible. I don’t like taking breaks and  will generally eat my lunch while working as well.

I try to keep in that creative headspace and block out the rest of  the world. Around dinner time, I go inside and help out making food and  getting the kids to the table, we spend time together as a family, put  the kids to bed at bedtime, and then sit down to watch a show with my  wife and work on drawings and concepts. 

After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art from California State University of Long Beach in 1999, Simkins worked as an illustrator for various clothing companies and bands. He later moved on to Treyarch/Activision where he worked on video games including Tony Hawk 2X, Spiderman 2 and Ultimate Spiderman while attempting to paint with every free moment he had.

• ARTWORK OF GREG CRAOLA SIMKINS – GregSimkinsArt.com
• Paintings — GregSimkinsArt.com
• GregSimkinsArt.com – IMSCARED.COM
• BOOKS – ARTWORK OF GREG CRAOLA SIMKINS
• Greg Simkins – Wikipedia
• My Modern Met

In 2005, Simkins pursued his desire to paint as a full-time artist. Since then, he has been featured in numerous group exhibitions and had successfully sold out solo exhibitions.

Birds are key figures in your work. Where does your fascination with birds come from?

How could anyone not be fascinated with birds? They are these jewels,  weapons, music boxes, and much more that dart around the sky as masters  of the air. They defy gravity, they curiously watch us—waiting for us  to make a move, they come in so many varieties, some create bonds with  us, others taunt us, and some would even comfort us.

They are incredible creatures, and I have chosen to give them personalities in my work and in The Outside  for all these reasons. The main bird in my work is Breeze, a large blue  jay that befriends my character Ralf “The White Knight” and protects  and teaches him the way of that world. 

It is his careful weaving of pop culture, the old masters, nature, carnival kitsch, and (most importantly) his warped imagination, that makes Greg Simkins a sought-after surrealist painter today. Simkins’ artwork has appeared in galleries throughout the world.

The exhibition includes a number of beautiful works on paper.  What’s your relationship with drawing and how is it part of your  creative process?

It can be either to get an idea out as fast as possible so as not to  lose it or something to later be refined into its own finished project. I  enjoy getting the gesture of an idea to use later on in a piece, but  sometimes I feel that gesture is beautiful in itself, even with all its  flaws. It is the kernel of an idea and I chose to share some of those in  this exhibition.

I also enjoy doing charcoal portraits which gives me a whole other  way to study shape and form and mark making, which speaks to my other  work. Working in multiple mediums always teaches me something new to add  to each other. 

“My creative demands are self imposed and my frustrations are my 
limitations. I sketch a lot and plan many pieces that I never get to paint. It kills me, there are so many things I want to paint and find the ticking of the clock to be deafening. Most of the time it is too many ideas and a lot get shelved or pop up in future shows. It is also a blessing sometimes because I get to revisit these ideas and tinker with them a bit and watch them blossom into something far greater than my original vision. It is as if the technique catches up with the idea over that time span, and I am thankful for it.” 

– Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins (Empty Lighthouse Magazine)

Fictional Story Related Index

This is an index of full text reprints of stories that I have read that influenced me when I was young. They are rather difficult to come by today, as where I live they are nearly impossible to find. Yes, you can find them on the internet, behind paywalls. Ah, that’s why all those software engineers in California make all that money. Well, here they are FOR FREE. Enjoy reading them.

Movies that Inspired Me

Here are some movies that I consider noteworthy and worth a view. Enjoy.

Stories that Inspired Me

Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.

My Poetry

Art that Moves Me

Articles & Links

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