W. Gregory Brooks Greg was born and raised in Mount Kisco, NY. When he was 17, he wrote and illustrated a children's book, Monroe's Island. When it was published, it convinced his father, an accountant, that maybe the kid had some talent. That led Greg to attend Parsons School of Design in New York City. He graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in illustration and promptly began a career in banking (strange twist in the road, but hey, it paid the bills), which he thought would give him a chance to figure out what he really wanted to do. He did an MBA in marketing at NYU putting his art on a back burner for, oh, 20 years (!).

To his surprise, Greg was pretty good at banking. He rose to vice president at a prestigious private banking firm in New York. But the creative urge has a funny way of nagging at a person, and deep down inside, Greg knew the banking thing was not his passion.

The urge became more urgent after witnessing the events of 9/11 first hand. Greg looked on from less than a block away as the second plane hit the World Trade Center."It was the biggest wake up call in my life," Greg says of that moment. "I realized then that I did not want to die a banker." So, Greg started the process, finally in earnest, of leaving the banking world.,

He had discovered a passion for renovating old houses while working on two Victorian gems in Hortonville, in Sullivan County, NY. So the new life would include an old house, somehow. And of course, it was about getting back to his artwork. This combination of skills and passions led to the purchase of a neglected eyesore in Jeffersonville, NY, which, after eight months of work became The Blue Victorian - Gifts, Antiques, and Art Gallery.

Greg's new life includes choosing and displaying delightful objects; working with local artists to produce exhibits; and, when he has time, producing his own artwork. "One of the perks of owning the gallery is I get to show my own work whenever I want" Greg says. "Of course, I still don't find I have a lot of time to do my own work, but I'm getting there."

This winter, a slow time of year for the gallery and shop, Greg will spend a month in South America painting and experiencing new sights, smells, and sounds, to feed the creative process. Does he ever regret leaving the safe, secure world of corporate life? "Not for a second," Greg laughs. "Best move I've ever made."

American Flag on fence
Acrylic on wood fence, 5'x6' $500.00

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