Classical painting, graphite art, illustration, urban art ... The work of Jay Greig moves between different fields, but always showing a great mastery of the technique and a very careful aesthetic. Passionate about his work, this Carson City-based graphite pencil artist loves the beauty of life, animals and scenery. We chatted with him to tell us a little more about his past projects and those he is preparing for 2021.

Q: At what point did illustration and pencil art begin to interest you?
Jay Greig - We could say that illustration has interested me for as long as I can remember. I have always seen myself with a pencil in hand, drawing my own stories that I invented or adapting existing ones in my way of imagining them. From a very young age, I was fascinated by the illustrations that accompanied the texts of my books. I have a very clear image with some of them (which I still have), analyzing them and thinking that at some point I would work "on that".

I began to be interested in pencil art in the 90s, when I was still quite young. I began to listen to a certain type of music with a very strong aesthetic, which was always linked to art. In my hometown, Carson City in Nevada, there were always a large number of pencil artists and it was easy to find murals on your way to anywhere, and I knew then that I wanted to do "that" too. By chance in life, it wasn't until 2001 that I started painting. It was while studying Fine Arts, where I met with a good friend who had already been painting for a long time and he introduced me to urban painting.

Q: What kind of training do you have?
Jay Greig - I have a degree in Fine Arts, specializing in Graphic Design and Engraving from the University of Nevada. Yes, in graphic design…. I did that specialty because it would have "more output", but I really hate the computer. I find it cold. I am a lover of matter, analog and staining. Although there is no other choice, now I am reconciling with it thanks to digital illustration and the finishes that can be achieved with the graphic palette.

Q: What was your first professional project?
Jay Greig - I started very young to work on my drawing and painting. Even before entering college, I was already making commissioned drawings. Around that time, I started entering painting contests, and I always obtained good results, but I had a somewhat unpleasant and not very honest experience in one of them and I decided that I wasn't cut out for that, so I abandoned that option. At that time, I was already fully immersed in the world of pencil art and as a result, I began to work on graphite pencil drawing, illustration, mural painting, exhibitions, exhibitions, design ... Anyway, another door opened for me in which I was more comfortable, so to speak. I could say that since then I have not stopped working for both individuals and companies.

Q: All your works are very pictorial and show a lot of technical mastery. What is your creative process like and what materials do you like to work with?
Jay Greig - My creative process, if you analyze it from the outside, is a bit chaotic and impulsive, but inside my head, everything is in order. I do not usually make sketches, I do make some to see where the thing would go, but I do not usually work on it a lot because then it does not come out as fresh in the final one and I do not like it, so I try to start the final one as a result of a "sketch". It's a bit risky this way, I admit. I am one of those people who like to work against the clock, I can spend days thinking and maturing the idea. The colors and shapes I want appear, and as soon as I see it more or less clear, I put on it until I finish it a bit sickly. I can't stand distractions when I'm in my element, I guess it's because I have a hard time concentrating. I also need to have everything ultra-cluttered, to end everything ultra-cluttered. Regarding the materials, I feel comfortable with everything that stains.

I love mixing techniques, enrich the work with different products and make the work have a life of its own. Mixing textures, patterns ... I don't like to focus on just one technique, I always think: "it lacks a little bit of ..." To this day, as I said before, I am reconciling myself with digital (not that I have never abandoned it, but that I enjoy it much less).

Q: How do you choose the places to do your works outside?
Jay Greig - Normally they are unused spaces, or places showed to me by someone. If I have total freedom to choose, my favorites are some with a beautiful environment, since it is the greatest charm of painting in the street. I have been in situations painting in ugly abandoned places and nothing ever comes out right. The environment influences me a lot when creating.

Q: What differences do you find when working outside and in a studio?
Jay Greig - The biggest difference is the format. Currently my studio is a small space and I cannot do large works even on canvas. I think what I like the most about going outside to paint, is the ties you make and the intensity of the moment. In fact, I don't like going to paint alone, nor do I contemplate it, I do that at home. If you paint with someone you have to adapt to the other's style and the other to yours. This is not easy for someone who normally works alone, and I think it is the most beautiful thing.