At the age of 18, Simkins began doing graffiti under the name "Craola". Graffiti drove his inspiration to create and gave him the confidence and experience to paint large scale works. It also taught him color theory and perspective while further developing his artistic skills, as later demonstrated in his masterful work with acrylics.[5]
Out of his love for the animal world he seeks to bring together unlikely camaraderies and conflicts from the landscape of his mind to the confines of canvas, paper, and walls. It is common to see deer with killer whales, puppies with crustacean pals, and birds sharing the air with rodents in his playfully ominous to ominously playful acrylic compositions informed by smooth, graffiti gradients and balanced layouts that draw the eye through story lines and little vignettes.[6]
Simkins' solo shows include: Good Knight,Stop Haunting Me, and Cloud Theory at Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles;[11]Inside the Outside at Joshua Liner Gallery in New York;[12] a two-person exhibit with Lola at Galerie d'Art Yves Laroche in Montreal; The Pearl Thief at Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight in Los Angeles; Seeing Things at FIFTY24/SF Gallery in San Francisco;[13]It Wanders West at Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight;[14]It Wanders East at Joshua Liner Gallery;[14]The Well at m modern Gallery in Palm Springs, CA;[15]I’m Scared at Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight; Don’t Sleep at FIFTY24/SF Gallery;[16] and Ima Monsta at Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight.
Simkins had his curatorial debut with INLE at Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight in 2011, a show in which he also participated. The exhibit included art inspired by the book Watership Down by over 100 artists.[17]
Publications
Publications by Simkins
Simkins, Greg. (2011) Drawn From the Well. Presto Art. ISBN978-0982404737.