Gerb is a nickname Grayson received growing up that can’t let her go, nor does she want it to :) Grayson Toal is an artist based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Currently an (fresh out of grad school) English professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, she is entirely self-taught in the art department. Grayson’s practice centers on the feminine form and abstract faces & lands informed by her own emotions and youthful imagination. Growing up in a remote, forested property on Lake Wylie, NC, Grayson and her siblings were free to roam and adventure. They grew up with horses, goats, and plenty of cats and dogs. Grayson has always felt close and moved by the wilderness and its creatures. Her childhood environment allowed her imagination to prosper and grow. Her art is heavily defined and inspired by her youth and maintaining this youthful mindset. With bright, assorted colors and creative, playful scenes, her strong relationship to her youth arises in her paintings. Art has always been at the core of her family as her parents work in the art industry. Her mother owned a pottery studio and her father still currently runs a ceramic and craft distribution company. She is grateful to have grown up in an art-centered family that nourished a sense of creative expression. As she continues to find her way as an artist, she hopes to continue to grow through her creation and express her feelings through art.