Greg Pastore
Meet The Artist
Greg Pastore is a talented Connecticut artist whose creative journey demonstrates the powerful role that art can play in rebuilding confidence, identity, and connection after disability.
Through Inspire Arts CT, Greg has developed his artistic voice while exploring creativity through his own unique perspective and experiences. His artwork reflects imagination, personal expression, and the belief that everyone has something meaningful to contribute.
As an artist living with disability, Greg represents the mission of Inspire Arts CT: creating opportunities for individuals to discover their strengths, share their talents, and participate fully within their communities.
Greg's Artistic Journey
Art provides more than a creative outlet.
For many individuals living with disabilities or acquired brain injuries, creative expression can become a pathway toward:
Rebuilding identity
Increasing confidence
Developing meaningful routines
Connecting with others
Discovering new abilities
Greg's artwork represents more than the finished piece—it represents persistence, creativity, and the continued pursuit of personal growth.
Exhibitions:
2024 "The Accessible Artist" Showcasing Artists with Disabilities. Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, CT
2024 Open Studio Hartford Group Exhibit. Hartford, CT
2025 Inspire Arts Group Exhibition. Simsbury Public Library, Simsbury, CT
2025 5th Annual Blank Canvas Art Show. Community Exhibit Workspace Manchester, CT
2025 Confident Embrace - A community exhibition sharing the creative expression of brain injury survivors. Kalaveshi Arts, Avon, CT
2025 Inspire Arts Group Exhibition. East Hartford Public Library, East Hartford, CT
2026 Inspire Arts Group Exhibition. Sheraton Gallery, Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT
2026 Inspire Arts Group Exhibit. Windsor Locks Town Hall, Windsor Locks, CT
2026 33rd National Arts Exhibition. CT State Capital Community College, Hartford, CT
2026 "Mother Nature, The Art of Creation". EarthSong Art Gallery, Southington, CT
2026 "Art for Healing" An exhibition for health and wellness. 224 EcoSpace, Hartford, CT
Greg’S Artistic Style and Influences
Greg’s artistic style is deeply influenced by nature, Eastern art, philosophy, spirituality, science, literature, music, and the relationship between humanity and the natural world. He primarily works with acrylic paints, appreciating their versatility, accessibility, and minimally intrusive nature. Inspired by Eastern artistic traditions, Greg is particularly drawn to the way nature can become as important—or even more important—than the central subject of a composition. Forest vegetation, changing skies, and natural landscapes evoke meaningful memories and experiences for Greg, allowing him to revisit those moments through the process of painting. Nature therefore serves as both a subject and a source of connection, reflection, and personal meaning throughout his work.
Greg’s creative influences extend well beyond visual art. He is fascinated by the ideas of influential scientists and thinkers, including Albert Einstein and Neil deGrasse Tyson, whose exploration of science and the universe encourages him to consider the complexity and interconnectedness of existence. Music also plays an important role in shaping his perspective, with artists and groups such as Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Jimi Hendrix, and Fleet Foxes contributing different layers of emotion, atmosphere, and interpretation to his creative thinking. Literature provides another important source of inspiration. Writers including Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Gabriel García Márquez have influenced Greg through their ability to present complex perspectives, alternative realities, and deeply human experiences in ways that challenge conventional thinking.
Greg also finds inspiration in contemporary thinkers such as Jordan Peterson and Elon Musk, particularly in their approaches to communication, discipline, innovation, and intellectual curiosity. These varied influences reflect the breadth of Greg’s interests and demonstrate that his artwork is informed by a continual exploration of ideas rather than by visual art alone.
Within the visual arts, Greg draws inspiration from influential artists and composers who used color, movement, emotion, and structure to create distinctive artistic experiences, including Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Claude Debussy, and Johann Sebastian Bach. He is particularly interested in the challenge of capturing the complexity and beauty of the natural world, recognizing that nature can never be perfectly replicated. This ongoing challenge is part of what makes the creative process meaningful for him.
More recently, Greg has found significant encouragement and artistic guidance through his work with Rebecca Maloney, while the hyper-realistic nature paintings of Michael James Smith have provided additional inspiration as he continues to develop his approach to depicting landscapes and the natural environment.
Through Inspire Arts CT, Greg continues to develop his artistic voice, explore new techniques, and share his perspective as a Connecticut artist. His work reflects an expansive curiosity about nature, science, philosophy, music, literature, and human experience, demonstrating how creative expression can provide a meaningful way to explore ideas, memories, identity, and the world around us.