Meet Andrew M Grant: Visual artist and Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew M Grant and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I loved art as a child and sketched throughout my teenage years however, it didn’t become a serious pursuit until I was about 26 years old. I didn’t take any formal classes in art until about 4 years after graduating college and they were at a local nonprofit art school called Crealde School of Art located in Winter Park, FL. The school introduced me to the basics and I also met my first art teacher, Terry Norris. Eventually I felt I needed more consistent and rigorous instruction which led me to study with my second art teacher, Carol Broman. I relocated to Ft. Myers for about 5 months to study with her full-time and it was during this time I found a logical way to approach drawing and painting that serves me til this day. I relocated back to Orlando and continued to practice what I learned with Carol and continued attending life drawing classes at Crealde. The turning point in my work was when I became clear on what my subject matter would be and how I wanted to present it to a larger audience. Keeping a relationship with Crealde over the years led to my first solo show hosted by the school in 2019. The promotional material sent out by school led to me being contacted by one of the curators of the Appleton Museum of Art located in Ocala, FL. This led to an invite for me to have another solo showing with the museum in July 2021. I’m still pursuing the curiosity I had as a child. Being creative is as natural as breathing for me so it was never a decision I felt I struggled to make in regards to pursuing it. I was and still am a fan of magic and creating art, feels like that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My main mediums are oil paint, graphite and charcoal. I paint in what you could consider the realist or representational tradition meaning you can identify clearly what the subjects are in each piece. I primarily paint women of the African diaspora and use the 4 elements, earth, air, fire and water to create work with subtle symbolism and narrative. I strive to make some of pieces a bit otherworldly and this keeps the entire process interesting for me. Women have been a strong motivation most of my life and hopefully my work reflects that in a positive way. Limiting my options creatively ironically has made me more creative with my chosen subject matter. I will sometimes see or hear some artists say they don’t know what to paint. This was something I struggled with early on while also trying to master the medium of oil paint, however, once I decided what I didn’t want, it made other things fall into place in an organic way. A lot of things in life worth having doesn’t come easy and this definitely applies to art as well. Once you reach a certain level of proficiency in the craft of painting and drawing, you see smaller and smaller steps in progression as you continue to learn. It’s usually not until you review your work at the end each year, to see what you’ve improved on. I think only then you can give yourself a fair critique. Being authentic to myself is what sets me apart however I believe every artist is unique by default. In my opinion, the further you look within to express yourself, the more obvious this difference becomes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, we could never go wrong with a visit to the local museums and galleries. Orlando Museum of Art has a nice blend of work from past centuries and cultures along with contemporary art. We could also visit City Arts Factory which is part of of the Downtown Arts District in Orlando. Local artists help the city thrive and add a bit of culture to scene. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout and dedicate this to my family, as they provide the balance I need to pursue my craft authentically. Shoutout my art instructors, Terry Norris and Carol Broman. Their knowledge and encouragement set me on the path I’m on today and I’m forever grateful. I also want to shoutout Crealdé School of Art. It’s where I took my first formal art classes and where I currently teach.

Website: www.andrewmgrant.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrewmgrant_
Facebook: www.facebook.com/andrew.maurice.grant