Artist Joseph McGrail grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, but has lived most of his adult life in Denver, Colorado. He began seriously painting and drawing when he enrolled in the REAL Academy of Art of Colorado and has continued his studies with Ali Ghassan of that institution. He now serves on the REAL Academy Board of Directors as well. He is inspired by the work of Nineteenth Century British watercolor painters, Gilded Age American artists, especially John Singer Sargent, and by contemporary artists such as James Gurney, Robert D. McFarland, and Andy Evansen.

McGrail has participated in local shows with the REAL Academy, the Colorado Watercolor Society, and with a Denver St. Patrick’s Day festival. He is currently preparing for an exhibit of his watercolor landscapes.

"Watercolor is difficult, and I struggle with it. However, the struggle is worth it, and when things go well, I hope my work reveals something of the hidden realities behind all of nature and created things. I am also working hard on the study of portrait work, and hope to add watercolor portraits to my repertoire.”