Gary Greene | 1942–2024

Gary Greene passed away peacefully in Kirkland on July 21st at the age of 82. Though reclusive and challenging at times, Gary leaves a legacy of devotion to his family and beauty through his art.

He was born in Philadelphia, the eldest child of Jean and Lewis Greene. His family moved west early in his child- hood with a stop in Las Vegas before settling in Los Angeles. There he met his beloved wife, Patti, in a hospital where she was his nurse. They would go on to be married for 55 years.

They welcomed their son Gregg and eventually moved to the Pacific Northwest, making Woodinville their home for 44 years. In 1982, they established the annual Woodinville Basset Bash and Brigade, a be- loved event that has become a city tradition, commemorated by two statues on the main street.

A self-taught photographer and artist who described himself as having “graduated magna cum laude from the University of Hard Knocks,” Gary began his career as a technical illustrator. In 1983, he founded Gary Greene Artworks, allowing him to pursue his diverse talents for the remainder of his working years.

Shortly after starting his company, Gary discovered his true passion in colored pencil art and would go on to become one of the foremost artists in the medium. His love for art and photography led him to create large-scale, photo-realistic colored pencil works at times requiring upwards of 800 hours to complete. He was recognized as pioneering new techniques, including watersoluble colored pencil design. Gary authored six books on his colored pencil methods and another six photo reference guides, which sold tens of thousands of copies worldwide. In the latter part of his career, he taught workshops across the US, Canada and Asia.

Gary is survived by his son, Gregg, daughter-in-law Elisa, grandsons Max and Sam, his brother Glenn, sister-in-law Jody and nephews Sean and Kevin.