IVAN GRIEVE

Bio

Since my early childhood years, the opportunity to make and create became deeply implanted in my life. Surrounded by 60’s creatives in Bohemian Camden in North London. Happenings, “grown-ups” becoming visionary and inventive, were all around this buzzing part of London. Trips to the galleries and theatres, concerts and shows were always treats to be relished. This early energy has never really faded for me. I love conversations and collaborations and can find inspiration through all my senses, rolling hills or building sites, books and film there is so much to explore and it is always a joy.


I keep this urge to create and express alive by nurturing every aspect of it, like a living, breathing entity that has become my life long companion. (This perhaps challenges the view that creativity is a masculine characteristic as it involves risk taking). I listen to her and have a dialogue with her, sometimes she is calm and at other times she is filled with such a passion urging to rush ahead. So perhaps the answer is love… or perhaps “Meraki” as the Greek people might say, the word does transcend many languages and with good reason.

Self Taught Career

Building an artistic career based on a range of explorative and dynamic creative processes really does require a broad palette of skills. Reflection and contemplation, rigour and determination, honesty with oneself but a good helping of strength and perseverance. 


I use a quiet and meditative time each morning for writing notes at my desk with a warm drink. This has been my “go to” ritual for a few years now, it really is a good investment, to reflect and plan, imagine and focus on the day. As it forms a rolling diary / journal over the years it acts as a great source of inspiration and source of knowledge too. In December each year without fail, I read over the years of notes that I have written. There are things to learn from, things I may have done differently. Overall though, there is scope to look back and enjoy a sense of achievement. A sort of “I did all this in a year!” So the New Year always starts with a renewed energy and excitement.


There is a regular amount of website and “artists platform” management to work on, these I try to do on a fortnightly basis. Then there is daily office work that usually includes a flow of email responses and enquiries and social media messages. Looking at and researching open calls and submissions takes time and organisation. I try to get all these cleared before the studio working day commences. In this way I am not rushing and there are fewer impositions on my studio practice and creative freedom.

The projects I am working on, may frequently overlap or interdigitate to some degree. The recurring theme running through my work is the flow of the river to the sea. Visually documenting the landscape through the changing seasons and in all kinds of weather. The passing of time.

I make sure that at least once a week I walk and draw in the local countryside, taking with me a very few basic materials and making sure that my senses are awake and alive ready to explore.

I make visual notes in the landscape as I go, for me this will involve the use of found site specific materials and pigments….yes even sheep scat and feathers too! This provides a defining nexus with the landscape and the seasons, the thrill of this is continued with unwrapping the pieces that I bring back from the field to the studio. Exciting moments to review the birth of new pieces and enjoy the raw elements of a work.

Working with a range of materials I develop surfaces through sensory expressions, that evolve into landscapes. These become dynamic and intimate works that emerge from gestural mark-making and experimentation with pigments and grounds.

Landscapes are documented through sketches on-site with charcoal and pencil in combination with natural materials. I also make minor interventions with natural materials at the site to get in touch with the environment that I am working with.

Returning to the studio I begin working on Fabriano paper or pastel paper using materials gathered from the landscape including feathers, clay, mud and leaves, adding studio materials and pigments including Bideford Black, Shellac and Gesso leading me to build an expression of my experience in the landscape.

In many of the works glimpses of natural pigments and marks made with found materials can be discovered. This element of the creative process is key to witnessing a feeling of the landscape.

Awards, Media and Press

2023 “Syrinx” featured in the Salt marsh project.

https://bioregion.org.uk/project/thesaltmarshproject/

Art from Heart ~ Artists of the season Autumn 2023

https://www.artfromheart.co.uk

Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service @ Outside In2022

Award Website:https://outsidein.org.uk/news/watch-queens-award-for-voluntary-service-ceremony/

Featured in Artetcetera magazine August 2022.

https://artetcetera-magazine.com

Featured in quarterly magazine “Artists responding to” issue 3 July 2022.
https://www.artistsrespondingto.co.uk 

Outside In Artist of the Month March 2022

Sketch social artist of the month April 2022.

Art from Heart artists of the month June 2022

https://www.artfromheart.co.uk/post/artists-of-the-month-winners-june-2022 

Previous exhibitions;

2023 The Great Sublime at Fox Yard studio, Stowmarket, U.K.

Exhibition Website:https://art-magnitude.com/page/5-Exhibitions.html

2022 Terra, Espacio Gallery, Bethnal Green, London. Group show.

Website https://www.artfromheart.co.uk/terra-exhibition

2022 Artmills Gallery, Plymouth. Two group shows, Christmas show followed by a “small works” show.

Exhibition Website:https://www.artmillgalleries.co.uk/

2020 Friendship and Community, group show, Outside In. Curated by Frances Christie.

Exhibition Website:https://outsidein.org.uk/online-exhibition/

2014 Human Detritus. Solo exhibition, Birdwood, Totnes.

2012 Expressive Feedback. Joint exhibition, Crowcombe.

2012 Solo exhibition, Birdwood, Totnes.

2010 Unframed. Solo exhibition, Birdwood, Totnes.

Work appeared in on line magazine Quarantzine  issues 1 to 4 Gaada Projects CIC 2020. https://www.gaada.org/quarantzine

Work featured in Personaland (web-based global village for arts and culture) New York based, 2020.