Greg Gandy is a classically trained realist painter whose meticulous attention to detail and mastery of light place him among California’s foremost representational artists. Born in 1980 in central California, he moved to San Francisco to pursue advanced studies, earning his MFA from the prestigious Academy of Art University in 2007. Prior to this, he completed two bachelor’s degrees along with an associate’s degree, reflecting a lifelong dedication to artistic craft

Gandy is best known for his large-scale oil paintings capturing San Francisco’s iconic streets, hills, and architecture. He paints en plein air, using location studies and photography to recreate atmospheric moments—from bright midday sun to romantic twilight—imbuing each work with an autobiographical, diary-like quality.

His still lifes are composed of antique objects discovered at local fairs—film projectors, vintage vessels—imbued with narrative resonance and temporal depth. In these works, Gandy explores history, memory, and the passage of time through carefully composed tableaux.

A consummate colorist, Gandy translates observational studies into richly detailed oils, balancing cool fog-hued grays and blues with warm bursts of morning and evening light. His paintings reflect a profound respect for precision, atmosphere, and storytelling.

For Gandy, painting is an act of remembering. Each urban vista or still life is a moment caught in time, whether through fog-laden streets or quiet arrangements of antiques. His artworks resonate with viewers because they capture the nuances of place, memory, and lived experience.

Exhibitions & Collections

• Regularly featured at one of San Francisco’s most prestigious galleries, John Pence Gallery, with his debut in their “Cityscapes” show (2008), followed by solo exhibitions (2009, 2010)

• Represented by STUDIO Gallery and Gallery 1261. Recently participating in shows like SF Noir 25 and Terrain 2025, displaying an impressive range of works from small panels to large canvases studiogallerysf.com

• Early feature in Southwest Art Magazine (October 2012), highlighting Gandy’s immersive documentation of San Francisco and his symbolic still lifes gandy.cc+10southwestart.com+10mutualart.com+10.