Portland, Oregon painter Gregory Grenon is best known for his psychologically fervid portraits of women. He refers to the paintings as "emotional" and jumps between the content as coming from him and from the person(s) depicted. His comments about his work reveal more about his own conceptual process than about what he, as an artist, wants to convey to the viewer: "With these pictures there are no apologies and no explanations--only a journey of steps through the gallery of my life. A little different? Life--not heaven! They are my response to what I see, to what is in me." Grenon is clear that his works are specifically un-idealized. In fact, Grenon sees his images as void of any external point of view or ideology, but rather as manifestations of his own personal feelings--for better or for worse. "My work isn't exactly virtuous," he writes, "but in painting the common woman in the unusual way that I do, I unconsciously and vigorously promote her virtue." In other words, Grenon does not set out to make a certain point, but the resulting painting might do just that. And it is precisely because of his positive feelings about his subject that he is motivated to continue: "Lose the tired canard that painting women means you hate them. I paint what I love. I paint what I know: the humanity of women."

Grenon's work is known throughout the country and, in the Northwest, he has been unusually influential on a younger generation of artists. The aesthetic of his work is unmistakably vivid colors and strong--almost raw--linear draftsmanship. Because he works in reverse on glass, the oil colors are all on the same surface: unmediated, wet-feeling and free from any varnish or glaze. The boldness of the colors is both cause and effect for the boldness of the paintings.

Although Grenon is largely self-taught and developed many of his techniques on his own, when living in Detroit, he studied painting at Wayne State University and at the Society of Arts and Crafts (now the Center for Creative Studies). He describes his experience working at Landfall Press in Chicago--a fine arts press--as the most critical to his learning about making rigorous art. At Landmark, Grenon worked directly with many major artists who had been invited to produce art prints. Their work was broad in conceptual content and technical range and it challenged the young artist in both his intellectual and professional capacities.

Grenon's work has been featured in solo exhibitions in Oregon, Washington, New York City, Chicago, New Orleans. His work has entered major collections such as the New York Public Library, Seattle Art Museum, Microsoft Corporation Art Collection, the Portland Museum of Art, and the Boise Art Museum.