Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago- Charles Gruny

Date of Birth: 25 April 1943

The artist retired from Guardian Life of the Caribbean Ltd in 1998 as Property Manager at age 55 after 36 years service, to pursue his two hobbies:painting and picture framing. He is self-taught; his medium is acrylic and he usually paints on canvas board.

His first solo exhibition of 30 pieces of work was titled "Nature's Nostalgia" and was held 3 years later in January 2001 when he decided to show the paintings he had accumulated over the years and which were hanging in his apartment for his own pleasure. It was a heart-rending effort to part with these paintings but the artist realized that the only way to become known as a painter was to exhibit.
The venue was the atrium of Guardian Life Head Office in Westmoorings. The title "Nature's Nostalgia" was carefully chosen and reflected the subject matter of his paintings: seascapes, landscapes, old houses etc and recreated memories of his childhood days when a visit to Blanchisseuse meant a drive through the Arima valley on a misty night and using pitch oil lamps instead of electricity and an ice box instead of a refrigerator. Nearly all of his 26 paintings were sold.

His second exhibition, which was titled "Nature's Nostalgia Too" with 31 pieces, was held at the same location in June 2002, reflecting the same theme and was similarly successful. Later, in November 2002, he participated in a joint exhibition with Jason Reid at The Art Creators Gallery, St Ann's.

His last solo exhibition, "Nature's Nostalgia 3" was held again at Guardian Life's atrium, in November 2004 when 29 pieces were on display with the majority being bought by avid art lovers. Since then, in November 2005, he participated in Horizon's Gallery group exhibition where his paintings again enjoyed great success with collectors.

The artist continues to paint, though not on a "commercial" basis and in the process is searching to establish his own particular style and working at improving his art.