Brookfield resident and Patch columnist, Greg Van Antwerp has just installed a display of his artwork and collectibles at the Brookfield Public Library. Greg has been sketching and cartooning as a hobby for several years, but only recently began showing his work. This past October his drawings were on display at the Easton Library. His work has also been published in “The Newtowner” arts and literature magazine.
Drawing is just one aspect of his eclectic nature. Writing, photography, blogging and treasure hunting all result from this Brookfield resident’s sense of curiosity.
Treasure hunting, estate and garage sale-ing, or as Greg prefers to call it, Urban Archeology, is something he has been doing his whole life and is represented in The Brookfield Library display.
In 2009, Greg began blogging about his discoveries and drawings by creating the blog: Confessions of an Urban Archeologist. There he presents over 325 posts with photos, videos, and stories documenting the “best of” what he has uncovered. He often asks readers for their assistance in helping him understand what he has found. With over 35,000 hits and 50K page-views, Greg has benefited from the community of the curious who have discovered his blog.
In 2011, Greg began contributing to Patch.com with regular articles about his discoveries. “The Urban Archeologist” can be read each week in an average of 10 different Patch “towns” in Connecticut (Brookfield, Weston, Fairfield, Woodbury, Southbury, Cheshire, etc.).
“I have always enjoyed tag sale-ing, to search and research local history and dig up a good story along with old advertisements and other oddities and rarities.” The cartooning, Greg states, is something he continues to explore with different media, styles and audiences. His hope is to continue to refine and improve his skills in search of a wider audience.
