A creative artist since 1982 whose early career included stop-action photography, special effects makeup, and animation models for short films, Gregory Reade now crafts contemporary bronze figure sculptures from his studio at 5111 Santa Fe St in San Diego, CA 92109. After a stint in Hollywood production and a pivotal trip through Paris, Florence, and Rome, the Scottsdale native left a lucrative computer career to devote himself entirely to sculpting. Reade is extensively self-taught, having honed his figurative skills through workshops at the Scottsdale Artists' School in Arizona before settling in the San Diego area. His work centers on the human figure as a vehicle for exploring emotion, inner conflict, and psychological states — pieces like Inner Turmoil, Daydreamer, and Negotiation depict single and multi-figure compositions that range from tabletop scale to life-size public monuments. The studio sits along Pacific Beach's Santa Fe Street corridor, the same light-industrial stretch where Enoteca Adriano pours Italian wines just a short drive south. Every sculpture is cast using the traditional lost-wax process at foundries in San Diego and the greater Los Angeles area, with finished bronzes available for worldwide shipping. Reade's sculptures have earned Best Sculpture awards in juried exhibitions from coast to coast, and Southwest Art Magazine profiled him as an Emerging Artist, highlighting how bronze's ageless durability appeals to his desire to leave a lasting legacy. His work appears in both private collections and public installations, and collectors can view original pieces or discuss custom portrait busts, commemorative works, and large-scale commissions by contacting the studio directly at 858-254-6246. After touring the sculpture garden, visitors often continue down to Bare Back Grill on Grand Ave for craft burgers and local beer in the heart of PB. Details on available works and the commission process are listed at gregoryreade.com.