Artist Paige Feigley is a recent C of C graduate living in Charleston and creating amazing artwork with all sorts of mediums. She promotes her artwork under the name Grellow, and you can can check out more of her work here. The vibrant colors and beautiful lines in her work make for very unique pieces – We’ve featured some of her favorites!
Major at C of C: Arts Management and Studio Art
Year of graduation: May 2013
How did you discover your passion for creating art?
Growing up, I was always interested in art and design. I loved drawing as well as making crafts and always created projects when I was bored. I didn’t start painting until I came to the College of Charleston and quickly fell in love with it!
Who or what are some of your biggest influences?
One of my biggest influences was my painting advisor, Cliff Peacock. I had him for my Painting II class and he pushed me to work larger and introduced me to tons of artists. Artists like Willem De Kooning, Rothko, Clyfford Still, and Robert Motherwell, as well as some artists from home (Louisiana) that I grew up surrounded by strongly influenced me when I started to paint. I’m still influenced by these artists and always find myself going back to their work for different reasons. I’ve also been intrigued by a lot of sculpture and installation art.
Moss, 49”, oil on hand cut wood
What is behind the name Grellow?
The name Grellow started my sophomore year at CofC. My rug-rat friends and I nicknamed our house Grellow because it was yellow with green shutters. Living in a house for the first time in Charleston was the beginning of independence and with that came a lot of inspiration. That year was when I really discovered what I loved to paint so the name seemed fitting. I started with an Instagram for my artwork this past June when I realized I had tons of paintings from my studio art degree and wanted to start selling them. Grellow has grown into an umbrella for all of my design such as sewing and other crafts and honestly it is a lot easier for me to promote than my own name!
Stitching 3, 10”, painted canvas, lace, and ribbon on needlepoint hoop
Favorite medium?
Definitely oil. I started working in oils in college and love the whole process. I love color theory work, and the colors you can make with oil is insane. Recently though, I like working with fabric and I want to learn more about textiles
Which piece are you the most proud of and why?
Hmmm that’s tough, each piece reminds me of my life in the time period that I painted it. That aspect is something that no one else would ever see, so they are all very different. It’s hard to narrow down so I’d say I’m the most proud of Balancing Act 1, So Called Silver Lining, Intro to Gray, and Moss. I learn something new from each painting but these four felt like huge personal achievements when I finished them. I was stuck on different concepts when creating these and felt a weight lifted off my shoulders when I was done with them.
Balancing Act 1, 60” x 60”, oil on canvas
So Called Silver Lining, 71” x 71”, oil on canvas
Intro to Gray, 60” x 60”, oil on canvas
Any career goals, either in the near future or far off?
TONS… I have a lot of things I want to do in life. Career-wise, I think I will always have two jobs, a regular job and then one as an artist. I’m starting a job at Blackbaud (a software company based here in Charleston) and I’m excited to see where different jobs take me and how they will influence my artwork. I will always create art. I couldn’t not paint, this is something I will do even if it is just for me. In the future, I would love to show my work more. I create a lot of my work with interior design in mind and would love for someone to have my work be part of their everyday life. I also want to start leasing my artwork. I have a lot of large paintings and I think this would be a great way for me to share them with others in an affordable way. It would also be easy for people that are young and move around.