Meet Cheryl Gross

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cheryl Gross a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cheryl, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I found my purpose by realizing that I have a unique vision. It’s a calling if you will. This realization, brought me to the development of my style which continues to grow. It’s an exercise in experimentation, but not without restrictions. The restrictions are purely design and esthetic applications I use to allow my audience to engage in the work. This helps my audience to embrace the narrative I am conveying, thus allowing clarity and an informative experience.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am an artist and college professor. I teach my craft to those who are our future.

As an artist, I work in themes. My current narrative embraces mythology, and I have created a series of free standing accordion books. Some of my are myths are of my own creation, others are traditional. The ones I have created embrace adaptation to environmental issues, so in a sense you can call be an activist.

I exhibit my work on a regular basis. Some of the venues include: Art House Productions in Jersey City, The Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ, IMUR Gallery in Jersey City, Bridge Gallery, Wilmington Delaware, Schafler Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

-Learning how to control mediums was probably the most important aspect to my development as a painter/artist. I learned to understand how to use color, which opened the door to learning animation with an understanding of craft.

-Developing my writing. Learning how to communicate and tell a story. Engaging your audience.

-Educating myself as an adult. Learning about history.

-Do not wander from your intent. Embrace your uniqueness, but learn how to use it to your advantage.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

Not to be arrogant, but I wrote a book several years ago titled: The Z Factor. By writing the Z, I taught myself the fundamentals of writing, storytelling and research. This has helped me in my teaching as well as my painting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cherylgross.net
• Instagram: cmmgross
• Facebook: cheryl.gross.144
• Linkedin: cheryl-gross
• Youtube: cheryl gross
• Other: Vimeo: cherylgross

Image Credits

Copyright Cheryl Gross
All Right Reserved

1)-Dragon Book
2)-Dragon Book (detail)
3)-Carousel Lion
4)-Hermit Crab
5)-Gowanusspecare
6)-The Z Factor Book