Meet Lucie Greasley | Artist and Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lucie Greasley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lucie, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I can’t do anything else. Many folks in my position will have the same answer; creating art is a pull that cannot be ignored.

I couldn’t ignore that pull, not for of lack of trying. I spent my late teens going to art school, then switched part way through to psychology because of my fear of failure. My early twenties were spent in the helping profession part of healthcare, and I spent all of the COVID pandemic as an essential worker.

At almost 26 I have finally given up on fighting that pull. In the past year I have committed a great deal of time to satiating my hunger to create meaningful work for myself and others. I teach watercolor classes 4-5 times a month, I sell my art at markets, I was part of my first show this past December, and I continue to create in my studio in Downtown Syracuse.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I grew up in very very rural Upstate New York, my hometown has a little under 1,000 people in it. My childhood home was a solar powered hippie house at the end of a 2.5 mile dirt road that doubled as a snowmobile trail in the winter time. This upbringing led to a somewhat isolated childhood. My brother and I spent quite a bit of time exploring our wooded backyard. It is evident in all of my artwork that nature is a near constant motif influenced by growing up surrounded by forest.

Not surprisingly, rural communities are not known for having many artistic opportunities. However, my family was very supportive of all of my art endeavors and I was able to dip my toe into print making and collage art in ways that I wouldn’t have been able to without their support. Another way that I was able to make great improvements with my art in such a small community was thanks to my very passionate and supportive high school art teacher Mrs. Andrews, without her I wouldn’t have had the confidence to critique myself and improve.

I believe that while my art may not be ground breaking or daringly thought provoking; it is made with care and appreciation for the whimsy and peace of the woods.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Syracuse is a hard city to explore, many of its hidden gems are very hidden!

To eat: Strong Hearts (for the vegans), Phoebes, Three Lives, Funk n’ Waffle, Salt City Market, Recess Coffee ( I work here so that’s a highly biased rec), Red Chili and Thai Village.

To Visit: Syracuse Antique Exchange, Wunder Bar, The Regional Market (on the weekends), Book Ends, Found Things Plant Shop, Onondaga Lake Park, Green Lakes, Red House (theater), The OnCenter (always has cool stuff going on), and finally the Amphitheater.

Downtown Syracuse is very walk-able, but having a car to travel around to the nearby towns is very important. Syracuse’s identity as a city includes much of the surrounding area.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My ability to pursue this career in spite of the financial and emotional stress is thanks to the support I have from family, friends, community and my husband. I am very fortunate that I only need to work part time at another job and pursuing art as a career instead of pursuing art just on the side. I am endlessly thankful for the opportunities that have been given to me because of all of these people. This support has helped me greatly in furthering my career.

Website: https://greenleafillustrat.wixsite.com/greenleafillustratio

Instagram: green.leafillustrations

Image Credits
Head Shot Credit: Kristi Baumgarten Photography