Gail Siegel

Bio: Gail Siegel is a native of Detroit, Michigan. She migrated to Florida after completing a BFA at the University of Michigan and worked in Miami as a silk screen artist and graphic designer specializing in sports graphics. Gail still covets the NCAA National Championship football ring she earned for her work with the University of Miami athletics program.

In 1990, Gail moved to the Palouse to attend graduate school at the University of Idaho, where she earned an MFA in painting and drawing. Subsequently she served as the director of the former University of Idaho Prichard Art Gallery and then as the director of the Visual, Performing and Literary Arts Committee and WSU Performing Art at Washington State University.

Gail and her husband Lonnie Hutson were the founding owners of Sundog Expeditions, outfitting guided river rafting trips in Idaho, Oregon and Alaska for over twenty years. She currently lives and works as an artist at her rural home and studio near Deary, Idaho, which she and Lonnie share with three cats, a Belgian Shepherd, a crazy border collie, and an abundance of nature’s critters.

Artist’s Statement: In my current body of work, I am metaphorically exploring the complexities of life and the experiences that shape our identities.

Each abstract painting is a journey of layering and excavation, where I build up and then peel back surfaces to reveal marks, patterns, color and texture. My creative process mirrors the unpredictability of existence over time by embracing elements of chance, capturing the essence of pivotal moments and at the same time honoring intentionality.

Utilizing acrylic paint on paper and board, I create textured surfaces that invite an immersive visual experience. Titles reference physical attributes of a particular work to encourage the viewer to reflect on each piece from their own unique perspective free from filters or distractions.