Who are you and what do you do?

I'm Becky Gruen, a tall, slightly awkward girl born and raised in New Jersey.  I draw and paint- I went to art school and they told me my work looked "illustrative", so I ran with it.  I'm focusing on being a successful Illustrator.  

Why do you do what you do?

I've always loved, LOVED to draw and to look at old fairy-tales and books with beautiful illustrations.  Drawing was a natural thing for me to do.  As I grew up and had to start making choices about what I was supposed to do with my life, creating art was an easy answer for me.  

How do you work?

I finally have my own studio set up in my apartment.  My drafting table is next to a window and sometimes my English Bull Terrier, Ludo, is under it.  I really enjoy working in the late morning because the natural light is wonderful.  I like when things around me are calm so I can focus on whatever it is that I'm working on.  

What’s your background?

I studied Illustration/Fine Art courses at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia for 2 years and finished earning my BFA with a concentration in Illustration at Montclair State University in NJ in 2006.    

What’s integral to the work of an artist?

I believe artists need to care about what they make and also to accept that everyone has an opinion.  For me, I believe that art is a personal extension of the artist.  Even if work is created for someone else to use (like much of Illustration), the artist still digested that idea and turned it into something one of a kind.  I think realizing art is a reflection of the artist and being able to be proud of that, is integral to the work.  

What role does the artist have in society?

Mainly I would say artists get people to think.  Art can be loaded with meaning or none at all.  I believe it depends on what kind of art someone makes to determine what their specific role is.  In general, artists give people something to have an opinion on, to like or dislike, and to think about.  

What has been a seminal experience?

My family and close friends have always 100% supported me and inspired me to pursue what I want to do.  Nobody ever said I shouldn't be an artist because it wasn't practical.  I know that has been a powerful thing for me.  

How has your practice change over time

I'm letting myself try things differently when it comes to my "style".  I don't want to make rules for myself; It's okay that every piece I make isn't executed the same way.  In the past I tended to "over-work" things if I didn't stop myself.  I've been playing around between making very "finished" looking pieces to much more loose, painterly work and everything in between.  

What art do you most identify with?

I really enjoy any work that evokes something from me, that inspires me.  I like to look at art and have an emotional response.  That is what I try to achieve in my work.  I'm usually drawn to figurative work that tells a story in some way, or makes me question what is going on.  

What work do you most enjoying doing?

I truly enjoy working on a piece when I can step back, look at it and think, "I like this."  Sometimes I can work on something for hours and hours, stop, look at it and just hate it.  It's most enjoyable to be engaged in the piece, for me that's when I feel successful in my art.  

What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?

My strongest childhood memory is playing in the backyard with my brothers.  I always loved being outside, rolling in the grass and digging in the garden, catching salamanders and watching the birds.  I also loved going to the park with my grandparents to feed the ducks and squirrels.  Nature and animals are things I love to this day.  

What themes do you pursue?

Childhood, dreams, quiet moments, secrets, light, animals, pretend, windows, birds.  Although my work varies in subject matter and execution, there is a quality in my work that makes it collective.  My work has been described as both haunting and warm.  

What’s your scariest experience?

My husband and I went camping.  We were literally all alone in the middle of the woods, I had never been camping like this before.  After the fire went out and we were settled in the tent adjusting to the pitch black of the night, we heard something.  An animal was licking the grill about 10 feet from our tent.  Every hair on the back of my neck and scalp stood on end and I swear I could see my heart beating.  I was absolutely positive it was a bear and that at any moment it would maul the tent.  As quietly as possible we frantically whispered until finally my husband stood up, looked out of the mesh window in the tent and shined the flashlight on a big fat raccoon.  

What jobs have you done other than being an artist?

I worked for several years in the high-end fashion industry as both a visual stylist and supervisor.  I positioned and dressed mannequins, designed and executed store window displays, painted murals, carried around huge ladders, hung chandeliers, got really dirty.  It was a cool job.  

Why art?

Nothing else ever came close.

What is an artistic outlook on life?

For me, I am constantly noticing interesting things in everyday stuff.  I love how light effects rooms at different times of day.  I'm always taking in my surroundings and appreciating peculiar and pretty things I find.  So often those thoughts fuel an idea later.  

What memorable responses have you had to your work?
I always remember when someone reacts strongly to my work.  I've had people say things like, "wow, that's creepy, what were you thinking?" when I didn't think the piece was odd at all!  I love that, I'm so glad when I get viewers to respond emotionally.  

What food, drink, song inspires you?
I really love food and am constantly open to trying new things.  I also love to cook.  Making something from scratch, following a recipe and making it your own is so satisfying.  I love spicy foods- Thai, Cuban, Ethiopian, Italian, Mexican.  Anything with peppers, lime and garlic!  I love red wine, strong coffee and chocolate milk.  I love music.  Paul Simon is a favorite of mine, his music feels like home to me.  

Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?

It can definitely be lonely at times spending many hours by myself, but as long as I'm feeling inspired and engaged I'm not unhappy. My two English Bull Terriers keep me company and are secretly just toddlers disguised in dog costumes, so I'm never really alone!  I spend a lot of time with my husband and family and always try to see my friends as often as we can all get together.

What do you dislike about the art world?

I can't stand when people are pretentious.  It really bugs me, whether it is an individual or a group.  Everyone is entitled to and should have their own opinions, but acting pretentious is just embarrassing for everyone.  

What do you dislike about your work?

I feel like I should do more, spend more time in the studio, come up with better ideas.  I don't like when I can see that in a piece.  I'm learning to be okay with fixing something after working on it for so long, or even just starting over.  I don't like when I marry an idea and have a hard time realizing it's just not working.   

What do you like about your work?

I like my work when I capture the "gestalt" of what I had intended.  I like despite the style in which I execute it, my work carries a quality that is always mine.  

Should art be funded?

I believe art should be funded;  In schools, for public places, in museums.  I think art is a natural thing for people to understand and connect with, to learn from and enjoy.  It deserves to be a part of a working society.  

What role does arts funding have?

By funding art, whether it's for a children's program or a well known artist working on a project for a pubic space, I believe it provides society with one more avenue of education.  Art is as important as reading and writing- it gives us all something to read and write about.  

What makes you angry?

It makes me angry when people are inconsiderate to each other.  It really upsets me to know dog fighting and animal cruelty exist. It enrages me when people are rude to the elderly.  

What research to you do?

I do a lot of photo-research.  I search online but also like to take many photos myself.  I think it's important to fully understand an image I want to paint or draw before I actually do it.  

What superpower would you have and why?

I'm going to sound like a nerd here.  I love every single "Harry Potter" book and it would be awesome to apparate.  It means you can instantly reappear anywhere in a few seconds just by thinking about it.  Kind of like a time machine, but not really.  It would make traveling so easy!  

Name something you love, and why.

I love my dogs.  They are so genuine and full of love.  They are constant reminders of the good things in life.  

Name something you don’t love, and why.

I really don't love when the garbage can in the kitchen is smelly or when the dishes need to be done.  It makes me nuts.  I just want the kitchen to magically always be clean and smell great!

What is your dream project?

My dream project is one I'm currently working on with my closest friend.  We are collaborating a children's book together.  I'm illustrating it and she basically wrote it.  We came up with the concepts together.  It would be a dream if we could get it published, recognized and make a few bucks.  

Name three artists you’d like to be compared to.

This is a tough one.  I don't think I could be compared to them, but I always find inspiration in Vermeer, Degas, Edward Hopper and Brad Holland to name a few.  I like to look at work from the old master's to current working artists.  There are qualities in the work that never go away, that's what I'd like my work to be compared to.  

Favourite or most inspirational place?

I love the beach.  Nothing can recreate nature like that, the ocean is amazing to me.  

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Don't give up, don't settle.  It's hard when things don't go exactly how you want them to, but I've been using this advice on a daily basis recently and it's been the best thing for me.  

Professionally, what’s your goal?

I want to be a successful working illustrator.  I want to draw and paint, and for people to enjoy my art while being able to pay my bills!  I don't need to be rich or famous, I'd just like to do what I've always wanted to do successfully.

What wouldn’t you do without?

Chocolate.  I love brownies too much.  I couldn't do without chocolate ever I don't think.  

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All the best
Cure Studio