Sitting at the little corner table, my legs swing beneath me, as I carefully color in the princess’s dress yellow, over the faded beige paper.

My focus is broken by the call of my grandmother. I spin around to face her, she is backlit by the small hospital windows.  Immersed in my coloring book, I hadn’t realized she asked me how my day was. I quietly smiled and proudly held up my small stamped hand, the equivalent of a gold star at my preschool. As I whirl around and turn the page of my coloring book, I can hear the smile in her voice as she tells my mother, “That girl could color forever.”

This is the earliest memory from my life, ringing in my ears as I pursue this wonderful notion.

My name is Faith Gruver, proud founder and CEO behind my freelance illustration business, Faith Gruver Studio. Creating has always been a roar inside that guided me to study Illustration at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in my hometown of Rochester, New York. After completing my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration with a minor in Museum Studies, I have focused my career in book illustration and art education. The primary mediums I use are digital painting and acrylic paint. I also have mastery knowledge of watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil. My experience extends to such mediums as ceramics, metalworking, glass blowing, and glass flame-work. RIT offered the opportunity to learn many mediums at a high level, an invaluable asset to my career.

As an illustrator for Dorrance Publishing I have worked in a wide variety of genres. Using critical thinking skills to solve illustrative challenges is one of the most exciting aspects of my art. Communicating an idea clearly and beautifully is paramount to a successful book cover.

As an educator at the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG), I have worked with students spanning the ages of 5 to 85. This work requires communication in another form, as I share my knowledge and expertise in a variety of mediums including drawing, acrylic painting, and watercolor. Forging a classroom environment that serves as a safe space for dialogue among students is of great importance to me as a teacher. Through a partnership between the Rochester City School District (RCSD) and the MAG, I also create and teach ceramic projects that incorporate the RCSD curriculum with the art in the MAG.

My 2019 solo exhibition for 540WMain Community Learning Center in Rochester, NY was titled MAPS. The work created by me for this show was a series of paintings seeking to highlight the history of hair braiding as maps to freedom during the abolitionist movement. I created acrylic paintings that celebrate the intersection of history and modern styles. As an educator it was important for me to accompany my work with historical context, and as an artist I utilized my talent to shine a light on pre-existing beauty in our world. Art is a space for all, and must reflect the world’s kaleidoscope of individuality. As illustrators we have a responsibility to use our talent to share the stories of others.

The power of imagery that reflects underrepresented groups of people motivates much of my subject matter, as can be seen in my body of work. Art is a space for all to see themselves in new and wondrous ways.

Please enjoy this collection of my paintings, commission information can be found in the “Commissions” section of this website.

Contact by Email: faith.gruver@gmail.com