Rising Stars: Meet Gayle Faulkner of Overland Park, Kansas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gayle Faulkner.

Hi Gayle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I consider myself to be primarily self-taught. I didn’t take art classes in school and one day I literally pulled the idea out of the air that “I want to be and artist”. I took a few workshops, but my real education came when I was spending hours painting in my cold dark basement. I knew that I not only had to learn the technicalities of my craft, but I also needed to find my voice. I still feel that it is important for every creative to learn to be in touch with the deepest part of their soul and be willing to put themselves out there to express that vulnerability. It’s also important to continue that journey so that growth and fresh passion is always a part of the process.

I began painting in watercolor and that eventually morphed into mixed media. By incorporating the elements and principles of design into my work I created a semi realistic/semi abstract presentation that was always fresh and exciting. When we were quarantined with Covid, I decided to try something new. I began painting acrylic on canvas with the palette knife as one of my main tools. The texture and color have been very exciting to play with. I now am wanting to grow again and am just starting to incorporate my watercolor style with my palette knife style. The details are just beginning to emerge, but I am excited to see where this takes me.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As the artist, I emerge myself in the process and even though the road may be bumpy at times, the answer is always there. For myself, I need to stay confident and always be willing to communicate with the painting and at times follow the direction that it wants me to take. It is important that the passion stays, and the rest will follow.

In today’s world the business side is difficult and always changing. Even though this is part of my business, I must not let it intrude into my creativeness.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I always want my art to have a voice with a unique perspective. Different should be embraced in the art world. My work has always been known for its whimsical approach, color, and unusual handling of subject matter. I take pride in being different in my approach and presentation,

Whenever I feel that I have lost the creative passion or am somewhat unchallenged with the process, I think it is important to evolve. I am now ready to combine everything that has come before in my work and to find a new facet of my voice, I am excited to begin.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I feel very fortunate to have found art and for art to have found me. I think of every painting as a newborn baby that is precious and pure. We begin our process with bountiful love and the need to do well. The painting evolves and at some point, becomes a two-year-old. We love our child and find the patience to muster through. Then those wonderful years of exploration, helping our child to find their voice, and pure fun emerge. But then every painting comes to the angst of the teenage years. It can be difficult but with conversation, listening and sometimes compromising we move on, and a beautiful adult emerges to be exactly what it should be. The passion and joy that I put into the creative process is the thing that continues to feed my soul.

Pricing:

• My painting are on my website www.gaylefaulknerfineart.com. The originals are available as well as prints and merchandise. The pricing depends on the item.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gaylefaulknerfineart.com
• Instagram: faulkner.gayle
• Facebook: Gayle Faulkner Fine Art LLC