Charles 'Macky' Gruny returns to Guardian Life's Atrium at Westmall with thirty new paintings for his second one-man exhibition from Tuesday July 2nd to Saturday July 6.
So encouraged was the retired Guardian Life staffer by the response to his first exhibition "Nature's Nostalgia" in January 2001 that he was motivated to mount his second "Nature's Nostalgia Too." Macky has worked in acrylic on canvas on a number of scenes from Balandra, Cumana, Blanchisseuse and Toco on the north coast, and Mayaro and Manzanilla on the east coast; has retained some of his 'old houses'; and because of a new found confidence which has made him more comfortable with the paints, brushes, and canvas sizes, has explored subjects "I would not have dared tackle before. This time I have some 8" x 10" paintings of orchids, ducks in a pond, and a sunset off the Mucurapo foreshore in a panoramic shape."
And says an excited Gruny: "Who knows I might attempt portraits and abstracts in future! The good thing is that I am continuously being encouraged by my friends and family who are quick to point out the improvements in my work."
Having set himself a production rate of 2.5 paintings a month in order to reach his target of 30 pieces in one year, Macky started painting in March. But found what he calls "an absence of that thing called creative juices was a significant contribution to my slow pace of production so that it took 18 months to produce the 30 pieces which are on show."
"Before I used to attribute this non-productivity to laziness but now I believe that if it's not flowing one cannot produce, or even if production continues it will be apparent that something is missing." Gruny, who paints from photographs, suddenly found himself lacking in inspirational photographs, and was forced to go on a weekend visit to the North Coast for the scenes he needed. With a chuckle he admits "I also cheated a bit and borrowed some photographs from Noel Norton , Trinidad's best photographer. These are seen in a few of the paintings e.g 'The Lopinot River', 'A river in Caura', and 'Mayaro beach."
The artist has a good feeling about this exhibition, which has again found the perfect venue through Douglas Camacho, Guardian Life's President, with generous help from the staff of the company's Public Relations Department.
Most unusual for any artist, is the fact that Macky also frames his own pictures. Framing was an original hobby which he turned into a successful business to supplement his pension on retirement. To this he has now added his second hobby - painting.
Says Gruny: "I am excited about this my second exhibition for a number of reasons. It will add value to the paintings purchased by those kind persons last year by my staying the course, in other words it was not a 'fly by night' attempt. It will also add value to the new paintings and I hope it will help my efforts to establish myself as a serious painter."