Paul Grusche as the Artist.
Born: Royal Oak, Michigan – 1970
Paul Grusche has never been able to stand conventional prosperity, so fulfilling achievements in corporatist environs were destined to give way to the financially maddening pursuit of a career in arts and letters. He taught himself how to paint, founded a car magazine, photographed hundreds of cars, built self-taught websites—good ones—and managed a band in LA; he partnered in a hemp company in Seattle in the mid-90s and last but not least, has always, always been a grease monkey.
Paul Grusche (pronounced grew-shay), nickname Groosh since high school.
It was in Portland, Oregon back in 1993 that I realized “how to draw” during free time from a corporate job. I bought a sketch book at the local art store and tried drawing a car from memory in black pen. After that, I closed the sketch book since the drawing kinda sucked. But with no friends, except my old college buddy three hours north in Seattle, I had time on my hands. So, I kept at it. I figured when I get to be 80 years old creating art would be a good way to pass the time.
By the end of the year, I had moved back to Michigan, born and raised, sticking to a full time advertising career that didn’t pay much. Five nights a week were spent holding up the bars in Keego Harbor with high school friends. I took up in a small—10. ft x 9 ft. — office space in Royal Oak and called it my studio to give me separation and inspiration. I bought some oils, canvas and another sketch book and retreated to my four walls with tunes, a beer and another beer. With the drafting pencils my dad used in college, I continued sketching and started painting. All of it this time rendering images from the fantasy land between my ears.
Today I continue to paint and have supplemented my work with thousands of automobile photographs. Yup, grease monkey loves cars. I’ve also turned my attention to part and auto restoration. All of it a wonderful cyclical creative outlet.
A last note on my artwork… I can spend many hours framing some work. I believe a work needs to be framed by the artist not the owner. As only the artist can enhance the mood of the work with the proper colors, shapes and textures surrounding it. Therefore, I sign the frame not the painting when I complete a piece… and the back of the canvas just in case they get separated.
Thanks for reading.
Groosh
See the Studios.
7850 2nd St.
Dexter, MI 48130
310 – 431-5600 – Mobile