Cherished pets, colorful fish, and fun commissions with artist Greg Ramsey.
It’s hard not to smile when you see Greg Ramsey’s whimsical and fun, yet technically perfect paintings—and that’s exactly what he set out to do when he traded a successful marketing career for palette and paintbrush.
“I can’t say that I left with some sort of formalized business plan of what I wanted to do,” admits Ramsey with a grin, “other than that I wanted to paint, you know?” Ramsey, who helped helm the design direction at Greenville-based agency Brains on Fire, was an illustration major in college, and he set out to pursue a fine arts track again.
“I’ve always loved drawing and painting,” says Ramsey, “and [commissions] are what got me painting again. I love fly-fishing and did a handful of fish paintings for a local seafood restaurant . . . and then I started painting peoples’ dogs, and one thing led to another.” His pup portraits span a diverse range: from more traditional, beautiful sporting compositions to delightfully bizarre anthropomorphic scenes. All are equally at home in his clients’ fine dining rooms and children’s playrooms.
“Because I come from the professional service industry world, that [way of working] feels very comfortable to me,” says Ramsey, who still takes a design approach to working with his commission clients. “I enjoy getting to know a client and their pet, hear their story, and stay in close contact throughout the process. Rather than just disappearing into a mysterious studio and surprising you at some point down the road with a finished product, I like to first design the portrait in Photoshop, show you different options of how it could look—and if possible, I’ll go do a little photo shoot, which is always a lot of fun.”
Greg Ramsey’s Cameo
A surprising fact about Ramsey’s portraits: he’s often the human model behind the crushed velvet smoking jacket or cardigan and skinny tie. “For some of these crazy, quirky portraits that I really love doing, and are portraits of the pet owner as much as the pet, there can be several photoshoots involved,” reveals Ramsey. “For example, when I painted Winston—the dog drinking bourbon, who really does have his own seat at the family’s dining room table—I went to the house and took pictures of him sitting there in the chair. Then, I took pictures of myself holding the props and wearing the costume. I’m the human stunt double, if you will,” laughs Ramsey, who pulls the whole scene together on his computer and even shows clients what the finished painting could look like hung on a specific wall in their home. “I enjoy the process and the finished result. I’d like somebody [who sees the Winston painting] to say, ‘Oh, look at that crazy dog drinking a bourbon. I’d love to get my dog painted like that.’”
Despite his extensive background in the creative field, Ramsey will be the first to tell you he’s the new kid on the block—and still finding his footing. “I’m just a couple of years into this and still trying to build value into my work. It’s funny, I was in marketing for 30 years, and it’s a little embarrassing to admit that I’m still not sure how to market myself as an artist,” reflects Ramsey, who still does freelance design work, along with the occasional mural. “Thinking long-term, however, I’d love to participate in more art shows, especially with other wildlife artists or with a sporting theme. Something quirky, like hunting dogs as duck hunters,” he laughs.
You can learn more about Greg’s work and say hello at ramseypaints.com or reach out by email or phone greg@ramseypaints.com.
Photography by Eli Warren.
