Art In Knowing
North State Artist Derek GrinnellGrinnell’s passion for painting and drawing never relented, and eventually it led him into London’s Royal Academy. It set the foundation for a long career as a professional illustrator and artist, both in England and the United States.
Many examples of Grinnell’s current work and a brief retrospective of some of his commercial images are on display through Jan. 12 at Redding City Hall. The “Art in the City” exhibit also features eight other artists and photographers (Grinnell’s work is on the second floor).
“I started as a kid, sketching, old factories and things,” says Grinnell, who moved to the small Shasta County community of Viola, near Lassen Volcanic National Park, in 2006. “I’d draw things around me, my cat, various people. I was trying to get into the academy at the time, so I was drawing everything. My dad was an artist and he kind of taught me most of what he knew. Then he said, ‘You’re on your own, son.’”
The City Hall exhibit showcases Grinnell’s deft ability to blend watercolor and pen and ink into stunning landscapes. His subjects include oak woodlands, coastlines, wineries, mountains and more.
He loves to plein air paint (work from observation outside) because it fulfills his desire to be in nature. Grinnell’s pen marks define rigid areas, such as tree limbs, rocks and structures, while the watercolors fill in the rest. It shows off his strengths as an illustrator and combines them with the happy accidents of watercolor painting.
“I love watercolor because you never know what’s going to happen,” he says. “I love those glows in the early mornings and late afternoons. I like to get all the pen work done and over with first. Then you start putting in the base colors.”
As for the use of pen, Grinnell says, “It’s my handwriting. People get to know the way you write. They like all those squiggly lines.”
In addition to the watercolor/ink works, there are also several examples of Grinnell’s commercial work, including more abstract and surrealistic pieces. There are magazine covers and illustrative aerial maps, which have formed a large bulk of his work for commission.
Grinnell worked for years for commercial studios in London and later in the Louisville office of Chicago-based Rauhoff Studios. He moved to San Francisco in 1984, where his commercial work continued to flourish. He completed several illustrative maps for a variety of books, including “Gettysburg,” commissioned by Ted Turner. He also produced a variety of U.S. Air Force paintings for the Pentagon art collection in Washington, D.C.
Grinnell’s work has appeared in such publications as Time, Reader’s Digest, and the Saturday Evening Post. He drew much of the John Wayne commemorative advertising for Coors Light and the Hidden Treasure poster for a California State Lottery campaign.
“I’ve always kept a sketch book,” he says. “It’s your workbook. I’ve got loads of them and they’re just invaluable to me. A lot of the techniques in my own personal work went into my commercial illustration work. It all combines.”
Grinnell’s distinctive style has long been a key to his success in the commercial illustration world (he’s worked though an agent for most of his life). Fans of his art continually praise the way he uses his pen in combination with his color palette.
“As an illustrator, I was working to develop my own style,” he says. “I also developed a color scheme, which I guess is evident in my work. I’ve always loved the impressionists. That’s what I do in a sense. I like their approach. They were some of the first plein air guys.
“I also know when to finish. You’ve got to do your work and get out of there. There’s an art in knowing when to finish a painting.” •
