Gayle Madeira
Gayle Madeira is a contemporary NYC-based artist working in realism mainly using oils, gold and silver leaf, charcoal, and pencil, and occasionally incorporating surrealistic elements. Her paintings are in multiple genres - portraits, figurative, landscape (plein air and studio), and still life, and are often combined. Some of her favorite themes are the interaction of figures in environments, the play of light and shadow on objects and landscapes, and the investigation into the 3D qualities of oil being the “world’s thinnest sculpture”. Gayle’s biggest art accomplishments to date have been group shows at institutions such as Museu Europeu d'Art Modern, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Sotheby’s (NYC and Los Angeles), Salmagundi Club, and Butler Institute of American Art, and inclusion in various magazines, books, and films including Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Artist's Magazine, 1340 Magazine, and American Art Collector. Gayle is a juried member of the Salmagundi Club and Art Students League in NY, is an ARC Associate Living Master, and has signature status in the International Plein Air Painters Association and American Women Artists. 13 of her paintings are archived on the moon in the Lunar Codex.
What's the purpose or goal of your work?
I’ve found that when my experience making art is inspired, people are more likely to be inspired when they look at it and not even know why. Something in that experience is transferred to the work, then transferred to the viewer. Understanding this, my goal is to be the best channel I can so that inspiration can work through me, into my art, then into everyone who sees it.
How can your work affect societal issues?
All art affects all societal issues, no matter what kind of art and no matter what kind of societal issue. Recently I walked by the John Lennon memorial in NYC’s Central Park. It was a nice spring weekend day and there was a fairly large crowd who were all joining together to sing “All You Need is Love” with various instruments. That song is a beautiful thread which is always present for people to grasp onto in times of difficulty and of joy. All art is an ever-present thread to grasp onto, now and in the future, to soothe, inspire, enrage, encourage. Art provides a lifeline for people to no longer feel alone, because they see or hear someone else who felt the same way and made art that expressed these feelings. It can become a scapegoat for intense feelings against a particular person or group of people. There is an added quality that transfers through art which is a piece of the soul of the artist. If the artist has truly been able to let that out into the art, the viewer feels it, even hundreds of years later. We send our art out into the world sometimes without truly knowing exactly how it will affect societal issues, even if we had a specific intent.
Do you have a network of other artists, and how do they support you?
I have a wonderful network of other artists. The artists who are in PoetsArtists (and Didi herself) are great resources for questions around shipping, particular shows, and all art industry questions. I have other artists and artist groups in social media and in various forums who I turn to for technical assistance such as George O’Hanlon and Tatiana at Natural Pigments, framing forums like The Grumble, sculpture and gilding forums, various societies which have many helpful members. For feedback on my work, I often rely on several specific peers to look at my work at various stages during creation and let me know if anything catches their eye as being problematic to the flow of the piece, and who will often ask me questions about what I’m trying to do in the work which helps me to clarify and strengthen my direction.
What have critics and collectors said about your work?
Critics have said “why bother painting something when it is so close to being photographic?” and also the always annoying “why is it so expensive”. Collectors have said “Gayle’s paintings encapsulate moments of beauty in a timeless fashion. They transcend any real place and time and send the viewer into a parallel reality. Her style is influenced equally by old masters and contemporary art and she masters them both. While naturalistic, it is subjective and captures the spirit of the subject imbued with a relatable melancholy.” Tracy Adler, Director of Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College said this about my work: “An internationally recognized professional artist and dancer who grew up on a farm in Northern Virginia, Gayle Madeira explores her fascination with the physical body through both media. As a painter, she shows an exceptional attention to detail and applies techniques that distinguish her work. Her black and white charcoal portraits on gesso board, like those featured in the film “Prayer to a Vengeful God” possess both painterly and graphic qualities. In her highly detailed, to-scale, tightly cropped portraits, every hair and wrinkle is visible. From afar, it is possible to mistake her drawings and paintings for photographs. Upon closer inspection, the lines and shading, the trace of the hand, becomes apparent.”
Is there a specific environment or material that's integral to your work?
Oil paint! And lately gold leaf has crept in on soft gold feet to convince me to cover large swaths of paintings with it. I paint in the studio but also plein air, so for plein air I prefer mountains or ocean. I adore painting nocturnes, so my life revolves a bit around the moon schedule. I have a moon app and track it constantly, and plan activities so they don’t get in the way of painting the moon. As a result, I’ve officially named myself a Moonatic™
What factors influence the price of your work?
The biggest factor that influences the price of my work is Didi advising me how to price my work. My work is priced in a combination of size and type (drawings less expensive than paintings as an example). Lately I started adding gold leaf and those paintings also use two of the most expensive pigments (genuine Lapis Lazuli and genuine Chinese Vermillion) so that price will need to be decided on in the near future.
Describe your ideal working environment.
Silence, late at night, no one around, with an excellent audiobook or music.
