Can you introduce yourself in a few words…
My name is Greg “Craola” Simkins and I am an artist in the Pop-Surrealism movement with my roots in Graffiti.
How would you describe your creative universe?
I call my universe “The Outside”. Consider it as my own take on Wonderland, Narnia, Oz, Middle Earth, The Lands Beyond, Never Neverland and the like. The rules are my own in this world and it’s always being populated with new characters.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Imagine if Dr. Seuss met Hieronymous Bosch at a meeting of the Audubon Society held at Disneyland during a celebration of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali’s movie collaboration and they were also showing a Studio Ghibli movie marathon at the same time exhibiting a museum of old Renaissance masters, Norman Rockwell, Frazetta and Robert Williams. Let’s take it a step further, The outside of this place is getting covered in graffiti by some of the best graff writers in the world and even better there is a secret tattoo studio hidden inside Splash Mountain that you need to know a secret password to get in. I feel that captures the worlds I draw some of my inspiration from.
What is the project you dream of making happen?
I would love to see my world made into film that everyone could enjoy. I would also like to have a solo Museum exhibition. I’ve shown in group Museum shows and haave had numerosu solo Gallery shows, but I have always thought it would be awesome to have all the largest and most important works I have ever painted be loaned out from their patrons and hung in a beautiful setting. I’d want to have life-sized statues of my characters surrounding the museum and Installations where the artwork viewed the audience in attendance.
What are you working on right now?
I am working on many paintings for exhibits and commissions as well as a secret project which I cannot talk about, but also brings me some excitement.