Vero Beach, Florida – In the vibrant art community of the Treasure Coast, patience is often just as critical as creativity. For Vero Beach native and mixed media artist Gregory Ingerson, that patience is measured in thousands of tiny, meticulously placed points. Ingerson recently secured a significant accolade in the local art scene, taking home First Place in the Varied Techniques category at the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery’s 2025 “Best of the Best” juried art exhibition.
Ingerson was recognized for his piece titled “Squared Orbit,” a vibrant and highly detailed work created using a repetitive “square-dot” pattern. This technique has become the signature of his unique interpretation of Pointillism. While the visual impact of his work is immediate, the discipline required to create it stems from a remarkable personal history rooted in overcoming physical challenges.
Born with a physical disability that threatened his ability to walk, Ingerson dedicated his early life to conquering the handicap through the rigorous world of precision Artistic Roller Skating. His determination led him to become a two-time state champion and three-time regional champion as a Roller Skating Professional, eventually placing fifth in the nation. Ingerson now channels that same focus into his two-dimensional art, applying the same control to his hands and eyes that he once mastered with his feet.
“The same precision and discipline that had helped him to become a professional skater are the qualities he incorporates in his artistic process. With his artwork, Ingerson patiently and individually places thousands of straight pins in a pattern to create what at first glance may appear to be a simple curve in the composition.”
Ingerson’s artistic routine is as structured as his former athletic training. He begins his day at 3:00 a.m., working on his art until morning, handling responsibilities at his irrigation company—a business he owned and operated for 41 years—and then returning to his studio from the afternoon until supper.
The result of this dedication is artwork that functions almost like a photographic mosaic. His piece “Destruction of a Sphere” serves as a prime example of the sheer scale of his efforts. The work contains an estimated 132,000 straight pins, adding eight pounds of weight to the piece solely from the metal pins. While the work might resemble an unencumbered spray of matter from a distance, closer inspection reveals perfectly spaced pins, creating patterns that stack in rows. Ingerson describes the effect as “an abstraction of another abstraction.”
Beyond the visual, Ingerson notes that his work offers a tactile temptation. The layering of materials—which can include earth-tone colors, string, tiles, dressmaker pins, and even organic materials like weeds and stones—creates a depth that invites viewers to want to touch the surface.
Ingerson’s portfolio extends beyond abstract geometry. His piece “Burnt House,” inspired by a glimpse of a charred, abandoned home in Atlanta, utilizes balsa wood with burned edges, ink, colored pencils, and watercolor to create a haunting, textural composition.
As a “native Floridian Pointillist” raised in Vero Beach and Tampa during the 1960s, Ingerson has long been a fixture in the local community. A fine arts graduate of the University of Florida, he has accumulated numerous local accolades, including several Best in Show and First Place awards at the Vero Beach Art Club’s “Art by the Sea” and “Art on the Island” exhibitions.
Now enjoying semi-retirement, Ingerson continues to push the boundaries of texture and light, aiming to create works that serve as inspiration for patrons of contemporary abstract art. regarding his complex, multi-layered creations, he notes that he integrates weaving and layering to provide an “optical pleasure” for the viewer, proving that his transition from the skating rink to the art studio has been a seamless glide toward success.
