Gregory Frank Harris

Gregory Frank Harris, a versatile artist born in California in 1953, demonstrates an extraordinary journey through art, with a family background that includes a painter mother and a miner father. He and his twin brother, an entomologist and drummer, grew up in a creatively fertile environment. A prodigy from a young age, Harris began drawing and sculpting in clay by five and was playing piano by ear at eight. His formal artistic training included classes throughout his school years and later focused on ceramics and raku firing. In 1972, he attended Long Beach University, studying art and theater while beginning to write songs and work with watercolors. From 1973 to 1986, he balanced his art with a parallel music career, playing in bands and professional gigs on the West Coast. A pivotal moment came in 1977 in Spokane, Washington, when, inspired by a book on French Impressionism, he began painting with acrylics and oils, diligently copying the old masters. A twist of fate led to three of these copies appearing in the 1980 movie “Annie.” From 1982 to 1996, a personal agent sold his original impressionist-style oils, pastels, and watercolors to galleries across the U.S., while he exhibited in juried shows, won awards, and practiced plein air painting in the Laguna and Irvine Canyons. His studies continued at the Art Student’s League in New York in the fall of 1985, and his musical passion persisted, culminating in a 1987 performance of his original music with a large band at the Roxey Theater in L.A. After living in Duxbury, Massachusetts, from 1991 to 1996—where he also performed in community theater—he moved to Santa Fe after a workshop at the Fechin Institute. He lived there for five years, deepening his studies in contemporary realism and plein-air painting before relocating to Lyme, Connecticut, in November 2000. There, he painted from life, became a part-time teacher, an elected member of the Lyme Art Association, and a private instructor. He is currently a member of the Putney Painters group in Vermont with Richard Schmid. Harris’s artistic ventures span landscapes, figurative works, and abstracted renditions, reflecting influences from classic masters to contemporary icons like Warhol and Basquiat. His dedication extends beyond art, generously supporting various local charities with numerous donated artworks.