Greg Potter

I approach art from a humorous and surrealist perspective. Thus, whereas some artists may depict in their paintings the peace and beauty of landscapes, and others paint bleak images that may reveal personal struggles, I provide my audience with a different thing, with art that makes people laugh and engages their mind with an unconventional narrative that sparks conversation. Most of my work depicts animals in unusual situations. You may see a badger wearing a kilt, a little hedgehog sailing through rough waters in a small teacup, a raccoon-and-squirrel crew working on a race car in their garage, or a sea turtle dressed as a captain.

I usually get inspiration for my paintings from conversations with family and friends, or from the small absurdities of daily life. For example, I had an opossum situation in my backyard this past summer and my beagles were not happy about it. While I was doing some research about how to deal with these marsupials in a humane way, I became aware of how important opossums are in maintaining a healthy environment. They eradicate ticks, help prevent Lyme disease, and kill venomous snakes! To pay homage to a godly creature that so unfairly enjoys such a bad reputation I decided to paint a Goddess Opossum.

• March Madness Storefront Window Program. My painting “Un Día en el Parque” was reproduced in vinyl and displayed as part of the SWISH Sidewalk Art Galleries in W. Washington St., March 2021.
• High Art Billboard Project. My painting “Chicken or Fish?” is one of the ten pieces of art displayed on a billboard in Indianapolis, January 2021.
• Second Place, Charlotte Hunt Prize. Saint Joseph County Public Library and South Bend Museum of Art (SBMA), 2020. My painting “Un Día en el Parque” was assigned to the Children’s Section of the River Park Branch Library.
• Welcome Race Fans. Project by the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. My painting “The Pitt Crew” was printed on banners and displayed in Broad Ripple, Speedway, and Irvington, 2018.
• Mallow Run Artist Series. My painting “Penguin and Pink Elephant” won the Wine Label Competition in 2018.