Painting stories that stay with you

Wide-eyed and in awe, I can’t help but wonder what I’m about to witness — what thoughts were running through Greg’s mind as he waved his palette knife with such instinct and purpose, like it held some kind of superhuman magic.

And then — just three minutes later — thanks to the wonders of time-lapse technology, you’re staring at the finished piece.

A portrait that may have taken 15 hours or more to create, condensed into a captivating visual journey.

“I’m always thinking about what I’m going to do next,” Greg said.

“With a portrait, I might start around four or five in the morning and just keep going through the day — sometimes until five or six at night.

“I’ll take a couple of breaks, of course, but it’s mostly non-stop.”

But even after a full day at the canvas, Greg doesn’t consider a piece finished.

“I go to bed, sleep on it, and the next morning I’ll look at it with fresh eyes,” he said.

“Sometimes things come to me in my sleep — little changes or touch-ups.

“If the paint’s still wet, I might spend another two or three hours on it. Then it’s done.”

There’s more to Greg’s process than just painting at times, especially if he is doing a commission piece for someone who’s lost a loved one.

Before he even picks up his magic palette knife, he usually spends a few hours with the family, hearing stories about their loved one and learning about the person he is going to paint.

Greg said even after the paint was away, the connection could linger.

“Once the painting’s finished, I’ll play back the time-lapse video and choose a song to go with it,” Greg said.

“And most of the time, I get teary. It just — it hits you.

“It’s strange how I can feel so connected to a person I’ve never even met, but I don't paint detail, I paint feelings.

“I enjoy painting commissioned portraits for those grieving loved ones, hoping to help their families — even in the smallest way — find comfort and connection through my painting, messages and soul.”

Alongside his portrait work, Greg is widely known for his palette knife techniques, layering rich textures and colours with expressive energy.

His body of work also includes plein-air landscapes, nature and depictions of local landmarks.

One of Greg’s earliest artistic influences came during high school, under the guidance of renowned artist Ross Patterson.

Although he has drifted in and out of the art scene over the past 30 years while raising a family with his wife, Annette, Greg has completed about 150 commissions since 2020 — alongside numerous local landscape pieces.

This year, one of Greg’s portraits has been selected for the SAM Open 2025 exhibition, now on display among 65 works by fellow regional artists.

The featured piece is a portrait of the late artist Brett Whiteley — fittingly, as the Shepparton Art Museum is also currently hosting an exhibition of Whiteley’s works.

“SAM Open is becoming a really popular annual exhibition for local artists,” Greg said.

“This year, I was inspired by Brett Whiteley’s exhibition at SAM, so I decided to paint his portrait using my palette knife.

“Visitors are starting to mark it on their calendars — but for me, it’s a time to exhibit alongside many other talented local artists from our region.”

The SAM Open 2025 exhibition is on display at SAM and will run until Sunday, November 2.