Greer Wilkins
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Greer Wilkins, featured in AQ Volume VI, is an oil painter born and raised in Nashville, TN, known for her realism and often unsettling compositions. Greer received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Middle Tennessee State University in 2024 and subsequently moved to Maine to continue her career. Greer's painting style thrives on contrast, precision, and unexpected harmony. She is interested in exploring the unsettling undercurrents of humanity and reality, encouraging viewers to search for brushstrokes in her realism and to confront paintings up close.
She obtained gallery representation during her undergraduate studies at Chauvet Arts in Nashville, and her work has been exhibited nationally, including at Maria V. Howard Arts Center in North Carolina, Kehler Liddell Gallery in Connecticut, Modern Visual Arts Gallery in Pennsylvania, and many more.
Greer was an instructor assistant at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg following her graduation.
She works out of her cozy home studio in MidCoast Maine with Jack, her one-eyed dog, and Chicken, her lovingly spooky cat.
greersgallery.com
What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you decide to commit to this path?
Out of high school, I went straight to Virginia Tech for a degree in mechanical engineering; however, three years in, I could not shake this uncomfortable feeling that I was in the wrong place. I moved back home after Covid hit where art became my way of coping with feelings of failure and confusion, and, as bad as the pandemic was in so many ways, it was also my opportunity to make a change. I transferred colleges and started all over to follow my heart in pursuing a BFA in Studio Art. I've never looked back.
Could you share the story or concept behind your recent work?
The Still Life Series was born from another major life change after graduation: my move from Nashville to Maine, leaving behind my childhood home and taking only a car full of possessions (mostly art supplies) with me, not knowing a single person in what I hoped would be my new home. In Maine, as I was welcomed into an incredibly warm community, I was almost afraid to let myself accept the kindness here for fear it would dissolve my recollections of home. This series set out to explore and express those feelings of displacement and the surreal power of objects to retain memories.
What role does experimentation and exploration play in your artistic practice?
Painting is like humming to me. I'm not always conscious of the tune, where it came from, or what prompted it, until suddenly I become aware of a pattern and a directive emotion. Then I play with those discoveries, poking and prodding to see how they form into a whole. The entire process of painting is one of gentle exploration and experimentation for me.
What message do you hope your art conveys to the world?
Art is speech, communication, a collective experience. I intend for my art to invite others to conversations, especially the uncomfortable ones. Unsettling emotions become less so the more their stories are told, and this in turn makes room for the growth of compassion and acceptance. This growth, for me and for my viewers, is why I paint.
Share a mantra or favorite quote that keeps you going.
The best advice I ever received was simple: make more. It has helped me burst through creative blocks and confront imposter syndrome countless times. In the end, you make art for the audience of you, then step back and invite like-minded people in. So make more.
