Gayle Mahoney

I am a watercolor artist living and working in Montclair, New Jersey.

I love to observe my surroundings and capture the subtleties of the changing light, the seasons and the transformations of nature that I witness. This is partly why I am drawn to painting landscapes, waterscapes and flowers. They are constantly changing, yet the inherent qualities of one moment can be captured in a painting. I believe watercolor is the perfect vehicle to share my message: Life is short. We don’t have much time to really see, let alone enjoy, all the beauty that surrounds us. I aim to capture just a moment of that beauty in every painting, to draw viewers in, transporting them to a place of peace and wonder.

I create larger works mostly in the studio, using plein air sketches and my own photographs as source material. I paint in a precise, controlled manner, using fine detail, saturated hues and a broad range of contrast to create depth and weight. I work with a limited color palette, using eight or fewer pigments to create the full range of colors found in my work.

Skidmore College
Bachelor of Arts Degree, "Art in Society" major

San Francisco State University
Studio art, marketing and communications