A Brief About Gail

Never lose an opportunity for seeing anything that is beautiful – for beauty is God’s handwriting...welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

When asked what gives her artistic inspiration, Gail Palpant, an artist for almost forty years, describes the spiritual experience that occurs when standing at the easel. “The creativity that is within me, that desires to come out…is given wings through the process of painting.”

Technical Inspiration

Oil painting paved the way for Gail’s development as an artist in the first half of her career, and it was through oils that portraits emerged in her art. The transition to pastels provided Gail with the vibrancy and luminous beauty through their pure pigment that she was searching for and couldn’t find in the experience of oils. Viewers will note that the pastel paintings take on an oil appearance, which Gail credits to her familiarity with the first medium in her career.

Composition Inspiration

Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Cassatt have been significant influencers. Combining impressionism with realism is a signature of Gail’s style, which is further impacted by her travels to Giverney, France, the site of Monet’s gardens. The spectrum of color, experienced through advanced studies there, finds its way in the landscapes that wrap many of her portraits. This signature style has become easily recognizable by her followers.

Personal Inspiration

Her passion for capturing human emotion, coupled with her excitement over the spectrum of color, has pushed Gail into more advanced avenues of portraiture. The everyday activities of life are what take one’s breath away, according to Gail, and she is inspired to capture these moments in her work.

Future Inspiration

Gail plans to continue exploring the incredibly rich world of portrait painting. It is her hope to advance her passion by seeking to paint divine moments that offer a view into how God might see the world. Fromentin said, “Art is the expression of the invisible by means of the visible.” This goal provides the opportunity to offer encouragement and inspiration to the souls of those that experience her art during a period in American history that presents so many challenges.

“I am on a journey and have not yet reached my destination,” Gail says. She can be found continually studying and painting as well as seeking out mentoring from great artists in the pursuit of moving her dreams forward.

Gail is a member of The Portrait Society of America, The Pastel Society of America, The Great Lakes Pastel Society, and The Fellowship of Christians in Portraiture.

For discussions regarding commission opportunities, please contact Gail Palpant Studios, 517-265-3562.