Artist: Peg Grady

I was born and grew up in Queens, New York. Was the typical city kid, travelled on the subways into Manhattan, went to the museums, although when I was a kid I appreciated the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History much more than the Renoirs at the Metropolitan. Went to the New York City public schools, hung out in Greenwich Village, dropped in and out of NYU and City University of NY, taking classes I wanted and skipping (and flunking) required courses.

I left New York at the age of 25, and came to California. I tried a number of jobs…I’ve been a secretary, written horoscopes, sold advertising, waited tables, written commercials, typed police reports and been a prison guard. And all the while, I dabbled in art.

Then I hit 40 and it was time to stop messing around and do what I wanted to do. I dropped back into college and finally got it together. An artist friend advised me to “paint as if it was your last gig.” And that’s what I do…experimenting, revising, testing out different ideas, playing with my materials until I’m either satisfied that I’ve got a good piece, or so disgusted with the while mess I throw it out, leave the studio and go home.