Native Californian, Greg Van Krugel “dabbled” in art most of his life, but did not work at it seriously until several years after his retirement from an aerospace & defense electronics technical marketing and project-management career. With new inspiration and encouragement from his family, he began painting in early 2020, producing 10 to 20 new pieces of art each year since then. He immediately found a “home” exhibiting and selling his works successfully at nearby Huntington Beach Art Center (HBAC). Over 45 of his pieces in various media have sold privately, from exhibits and commissions. He creates primarily with acrylic on canvas or hard board, and has made pieces using watercolor, ink, pencil, oil pastels, charcoal, and chalk. Greg has been awarded 1st place Blue Ribbons in Mixed Media and Acrylics the last 2 years consecutively, at the Las Damas Sunset Beach Art Festival (a 501c charity organization). Additionally, he has created 4 album covers for fellow musicians. Greg and his wife, Mary Jean, raised 2 surfing/swimming children in Huntington Beach, CA and now, 2 grown grandchildren, lifeguards along the Pacific Coast, provide “beach-inspiration” in Greg’s work. With no formal training in art, when asked about his style of painting, he laughingly replies, “It’s a series of repairs made to a series of errors.” He has also pointed out, “My goal as an artist is not fame or notoriety, but providing lasting enjoyment in homes of families who love my work.”
