Rick Grime is a self-taught abstract painter and Air Force veteran.

Rick was always drawn to the arts, but only answered the call as his military career was coming to a close.  His time serving in the nuclear missile complex of Minot, North Dakota became part of the inspiration that drove him to paint and embrace the concepts of gender identity in his work.

“Understanding masculinity had been a challenge before I ever picked up a paintbrush.  Gender identity is a theme I return to repeatedly in my work, and it manifests itself in the colors and shapes I choose.  Although I didn’t know it at the time, my Air Force career gave me more to think about than just service.  I found myself struggling a critical inner voice: “A real man doesn’t paint with shades of pink.”  I came to embrace that inner battle, and defiance is part of my identity as a man and an artist.  My love of soft color and shape is at odds with the messages I internalized during my own upbringing and subsequent military career.  Somewhere along the way, I found abstract art as a way to rebel, and express my desire to see softer colors and shapes in my life.”

See more of Rick’s work at http://www.rickgrimeart.com/ or @rickgrime_ on Instagram.