The Ideas and People Who Make This – A More Beautiful World
By Kathleen Colburn
Greg’s work always makes me smile.
His monthly articles most often make me laugh. He brings us joy and a reason to keep our gigantic dictionaries. He is indeed someone who makes this – A More Beautiful World!
Greg has been writing his monthly column for Rapid River Magazine since August of 2009. He told me that at first, naturally, he was concerned he may not be able to come up with topics. Now just over five years later, he is confident he will never run out of ideas. I am sure of that.
Greg has always been an artist and like most creatives, he is inspired by the people and places around him. As he interacts with his environment, going about his daily activities, the inspiration always comes.
“… really, everything serves as inspiration. For some, disorder is merely about objects being in disarray. But those in art and culture circles tend to see a broad spectrum of opportunities. It’s all useful, even necessary at times.”
From April 2014, “Beauty in the Chaos.”
“My intent with my columns is to share something of myself, and to offer inspirational thought to consider. I’m humbly aware I’m just sharing my quirky point of view in a broad world. Most of my articles reference silly personal themes that I can’t seem to let go of. Like how I’m a sci-fi loving, aging, ginormous dictionary-toting, cat-rescuing, geeky shut-in.”
I have a picture in my mind of this huge dictionary and I imagine it has a prominent place. Greg has written that it is “… full of things new to me.”
What about the made-up words? There was “realizationalize” and my favorite, (well, yes, I’m a foodie!) from November 2014, “Woozlemuffins.” The article uses a food analogy to explain the different ways we process information. “Woozlemuffins” can be made from seemingly unrelated ingredients and a person who can do this is slightly “Cake” because it’s creating something we …”
Well, you really should read the article. It’s very funny and clever.
Every month I look forward to those “silly personal themes” woven into a topic, along with relatable experiences pulled from a career that has straddled the worlds of both art and design. Greg’s personal artistic passion is, he says, a perfect balance to his primary activity of marketing and design in business.
“I’m currently working in Asheville’s fascinating real estate industry, for a company that values and appreciates art and craft as the economic driver that it is in our region. As a locally-owned and operated business full of folks who grew up here, I’m surrounded by people who think it’s cool that I’m an artist. That’s such a gift.”
As a member of ZaPow Illustration Gallery since May of 2012, Greg’s focus is on editorial, conceptual and inspirational themes, as well as individual projects for the gallery’s bi-monthly shows.
“ZaPow throws the best art openings in town, and I’m proud to be part of the Southeast’s only pop culture and illustration gallery.”
Greg’s intention is always to offer up inspiration and hope with gems such as:
“ … at the end of the day, may your slumber be full of dreams that grant you new realizationisms and rationalities for your next day’s endeavors.”
Greg Vineyard is a marketing professional, and an artist and writer living in Asheville, NC. ZaPOW Gallery carries his illustrations, prints and cards.
Illustrations: www.gregvineyardillustration.com | www.zapow.com
writing: www.rapidrivermagazine.com