Artist Statement

There are a few very simple premises: I love beauty and whimsy and I care deeply about animals (particularly big cats) and the environment. I believe that an artist can express a strong message within a beautiful image.

The Different Paths of Beauty

One path playfully indulges my whimsical, frivolous nature or (more innocent and charming) explores the child in me. This is joie de vivre with every stroke of the brush.

The other path is full of passion, a response to the destruction of the environment around us. With these paintings (often showing endangered species), I want to communicate a sense of urgency to do something, or, in the case of my travel paintings, simply bear witness to a world that we are about to lose. These paintings present a breathless fight, an emotional journey from beginning to the end.

In both cases, I follow visions that impose themselves onto my mind, sometimes during sleepless nights and sometimes in response to a space, a person, or a circumstance. I embrace these visions fully, letting them unfold and develop. They take on lives of their own, I am the medium that delivers their message.

A Word about Murals

Having a mural in your home or office is an unequaled way to personalize your surroundings. When I design a mural, I work with my clients to take into account how they use the room, their personal style, their color preferences, sometimes even their pets and family members.

Murals can expand a room dramatically, by opening it up into a much larger visual space, such as a landscape. Murals can also create greater intimacy in a room, making it a protective warm environment. I have done this for example by turning my own bedroom into an exotic, richly colored tent.

Lesson Learned

I learned an important lesson from my high school art teacher, who was also the best teacher I ever had. Over and over he expounded on the importance of color, and urged me never to be afraid of it. Indeed you will always find plenty of color in my work. I've also learned not to be afraid of large scale paintings. Unlike a small picture that decorates the wall, large paintings are openings into another world.

Imagine the possibilities!

Antoinette von Grone