Would you like to tell our readers where your love for art comes from and how you started painting?
Yes, of course I would!
Thank you for having me. My name is Gayle Printz, and I live in Atlanta. Over the years, I have practiced law, raised three children, and written children’s books. Before picking up a paintbrush I had no training whatsoever; but to be fair, I have been surrounded by the arts all of my life. My mother was a painter, my father was a pianist, one of my sisters writes music, and my other was a sculptor. Growing up, I spent two months every summer at Interlochen Arts Academy, a fine arts camp in Michigan. Though I could usually be found playing piano, I could not help but be influenced by the creativity l experienced there. As a result, I have always been inspired by beautiful art, beautiful music and people who work hard to express and share their feelings through artistic endeavors.
The flame of creativity was always inside of me. I was drawn to painting because it was something I always wanted to try. I simply never had the time to devote myself to it. When COVID-19 regulations mandated we Shelter-in-Place, I suddenly found myself with an abundance of time. I wanted to channel my energy into something creative that I could undertake without socializing. So, in May of 2020, I turned to online shopping—this time buying art supplies. I wanted to bring light back into a world darkened by the Pandemic. Using a paintbrush, I chose to reflect upon and interpret the beauty that remained in a World interrupted.
What has the pandemic represented for you? While those years were characterized by darkness, your art was born.
To put it mildly the pandemic was a life-changing experience. In a year without COVID, I would not allow more than two days to pass without spending time with my 93-year-old father. I never would have missed a family occasion. I would have celebrated every milestone. I would have traveled with my husband and children to far off places. I would have gone to the store and picked out my own fruit. And, I would have visited the ocean and slept with the windows open.
By February of 2020 I sensed we were fast approaching a pandemic. I did not want to become a statistic. So, I prepared for the worst and began to interact less and less in public. I used the time to work on projects I had put off at home. I finished several children’s books I was writing and tweaked a 300-page book I had written for adults. By March our Governor spoke of locking down all but essential businesses and, in April, he did just that. With the death toll skyrocketing and much of the world trapped in a state of mandatory isolation, my biggest adventure was cleaning out my file cabinets, closets, and drawers.
By May, there were feelings I needed to express. So, I picked up my first paintbrush and released those feelings onto a canvas. In return I found freedom from isolation. Choosing to reflect upon the beauty that remained, I found that exploring freedom of expression in an untraditional way helped me bring light back to a darkened world.
I felt I had just discovered a silent arena in which to privately articulate my feelings. After all, I did not begin painting to start a business. Nor did I intend to show anyone my work. I painted because I wanted to express myself without being judged. The illusion of privacy enabled me to throw my heart on the canvas and engage in the deeply personal journey of translating the colors of my world into Art.
My journey did not remain private for long. I did end up showing my work, and no one was more surprised than I when, two months after I started painting, two of my works were on Exhibit in Europe. The international response was overwhelming. I was offered gallery representation and solo exhibitions. But, with Covid ravaging the world, I declined everything that wasn’t online or in print. As brick-and-mortar galleries started closing, l used their online platforms to show my work. I thought I was helping to keep them afloat until they could re-open, but the support was mutual. The fact that so many prominent members of the art world think I am an artistic success story is humbling.
Back to September of 2020:
Art Collectors began asking to see my work. I was not yet ready to part with it, but I welcomed their interest and feedback. To get that feedback was an exercise in Covid-avoidance. I would invite them to put on hazmat suits (not really, but almost) and come on a pretty day. They would meet me outside where, twenty feet away, I could be found double-masked dragging paintings out of a nearby door for them to see. Even through masks their excitement was palpable. The first collector to set eyes on TOGETHER was so awestruck he could only manage to say.”Wow! I could look at this forever.” I felt the same way, I could not part with it. In fact, until recently, TOGETHER was strategically placed within my view so I could study it. I finally gave in to TOGETHER’s plea to travel the world on physical exhibitions from Miami to New York City to Tokyo and next, to San Diego. I suppose we all need a change of pace from time to time.
I have eased up on parting with my artwork. And, in the end, that particularly well-masked art collector purchased two other paintings, followed shortly thereafter by three more. Watching and feeling a person’s true guttural reaction is enlightening. And, when I am not certain if a piece is finished and ask Art Experts what they think might be missing, there may be nothing more inspiring than what has become their mantra: “Your signature.”
I was also the subject of global art publications. One September 2020 newspaper interview was particularly memorable; it epitomized how much the world was changing. As I was to be the subject of a three-page article, the author came to preview her subject (me) and her venue (our entire house). My husband and I were instructed to remove all of the artwork recently nailed on our newly painted walls and replace it with mine. With a plastic bag over her head, the reporter returned to see the results of our labor and interview me. No joke: She wore one of the clear zipper bags in which linens are often sold. I was delighted her germs were contained, and it wasn’t a terrible idea mostly because the bag was unzipped so she could breathe. But, I did give her a package of face shields before she departed. She returned again accompanied by a fashion photographer, who I was really hoping would bring me clothes. He did not; but he photographed my artwork, and the newspaper article was great.
It creates a real sense of freedom to find out who you are and what you can accomplish by merely trying something new. The pandemic provided the time for me to paint. The pure joy of painting and consistently positive responses to my work inspires me to continue. I am extremely fortunate the Art World thinks I have a contribution to make. For if there is a silver lining in the pandemic, it belongs to those who used this time to grow by discovering what is inside of them.
Your artwork conveys great feelings. I like to compare your art to an eternal battle between the dark knights and the guardians of light. What do you want to convey with your works?
There is profound universal and person meaning expressed in each painting. But because I believe the importance of any work of art is based upon the emotion it evokes, I will neither define that meaning nor intrude upon your journey to find that which makes each painting significant to you. There are no answers I am trying to convey. Rather, I am hoping to give the viewer uninterrupted freedom to feel and experience the world in unanticipated ways, by encouraging freedom of thought without a cloud of judgment hanging over you. It is liberating to be allowed to think for yourself in an arena in which you can never be wrong, for with artwork the interpretation of the viewer trumps that of the artist.
It could be that, in a way, l paint in reverse. I suppose I just want to release my thoughts and feelings in a way I do not have to explain. Usually, I do not even realize what those thoughts and feeling are until I study a work in progress and see that something within the canvas is fighting to emerge. From that point on, I simply try to get the unnecessary elements out of the way so the story can fully develop. In each of my works, the story is already there. I am merely allowing it to be told. My contribution is to create a painting that entices the viewer to wonder and think about what that story might be. Therefore, in trying to create a synchronicity between that which is both objectively beautiful and reflects universality, I leave it to the viewer to draw on their emotional memories and imagination to assign context.
It can be difficult to get past the distractions inherent in abstract art because the meaning is not as defined for the viewer as it might be in the work of classic painters. Though my work is not purely abstract, it does create a non-literal view of the world. It allows me to explore freedom of expression in my own way. When the paint dries, it is that sense of freedom I hope to pass on to the viewer: freedom of thought—the freedom to develop, and safely express, your own opinion—is transferred to the viewer who, instead of trying to figure out what I was thinking when I created the piece, must be willing to consider what makes that piece meaningful to them. I may never tell you the story a painting is meant to suggest, but this is because that story is yours to tell.
It can be challenging to dig deep and explore your own inner feelings about a work of art. But, to me, that is what art is all about. You do not need to be influenced by anything other than what is literally in front of you. The only limitations are your imagination and willingness to explore what is inside of you. For when you embrace being in an unfamiliar world, there is a richness and tranquility that can fill your soul. And I hope my artwork fills yours.
In just a few years you have become a reference for international contemporary art. How did you achieve this success in such a short time?
Thank you.
Short Answer: I think I was actually discovered.
Long Answer: Ksenia Milicevic and The 2020 International Art-Resilience Exhibition.
On July 13, 2020, while searching for a way to property archive my ever-growing art portfolio, I happened upon a call for artists entitled Art-Resilience. Thinking the competition was about being resilient during the pandemic, I thought, “Hey, I’m resilient Look what I just painted.” In fact, I painted non-stop for two months before I even thought of entering a competition. By the time I entered my first competition, which happened by chance, I had already finished close to thirty paintings.
So, I sent ten images of different paintings to eight of my most encouraging fans: one Art Historian, two artists, one publicist, and four Art Collectors. I told them I was thinking of entering a competition in which the theme was resilience and asked that they each rate the paintings in order of preference. I could only submit two paintings for consideration by the jury. So, I tallied the votes and sent FIRST and POND. All I had to do was email a few other simple facts with the two images attached. There was no entry fee unless chosen. Previous exhibitions were beautifully curated. In short, I simply saw no downside to applying…except that having never intended to show my work, I had no images of my paintings other than what I had taken with my phone.
Enter my husband, Steven Printz, who if he did not have a day job, could easily be a professional photographer. He worked tirelessly photographing my artwork, meticulously ensuring that each image was an accurate representation of the painting. This may not sound so difficult, but it was. Each color had to be perfectly depicted, or I wouldn’t use it. Steven outdid himself and has since taken every picture of every painting on GaylePrintz.com.
The deadline was July 15, 2020, and that is exactly when I sent my submission. A few hours later, I received an email from the extremely talented artist/architect, Ksenia Milicevic, requesting my professional artists image for their website. I knew Ms. Milicevic founded the museum where the exhibition was to be held, so I asked if that meant one of my paintings was accepted. She said, “Yes, of course. Both.They’re perfect.” I was thrilled and immediately sent her the only picture of myself that I had on my phone.
Ms. Milicevic then asked for the link to my website. I sheepishly told her I did not have one. So, my husband took pictures of my work and posted them on Smug-Mug. I sheepishly gave Ms. Milicevic the link. She gently informed me that, although my artworks looked beautiful on SmugMug, I should set up a storefront website before the August 8th Exhibition because collectors would want to see my work. Setting up my website was the most difficult part of my artistic experience. So difficult in fact, it will always have a disclaimer reading “This website is under construction,” just in case something is terribly wrong with it. So far so good. But the disclaimer will remain. Although I am thrilled to have it, that website took so much of my time, I did not have time to enter another competition until October—a month before one of my paintings became part of the the permanent exhibit at Musée de Peinture de Saint-Frajou in France.
Back To The Story:
Ms. Milicevic then asked me for my C.V. to post on their website. Once again, l sheepishly told her I did not have one. She very gently told me to send her what I had, and she would work with it. I sent her a “C.V.” with my education, past jobs, the titles of books I have written, all the Bar Associations from which I am retired (New York, New Jersey, and Georgia) and, realizing she needed something relating to my artistic background, I included Interlochen Arts Academy. As that only amounted to two pages, I put in images of my artwork. Ms. Milicevic was very pragmatic; she posted only my education, Interlochen, and the names of my books.
Ksenia Milicevic walked me through each step necessary to present my artwork to the world. But, the best part of our relationship, besides the relationship itself, is the way in which Ms. Milicevic inspires me simply to be myself. She always said I had a very distinctive style such that, at some point, when people saw my work, they would recognize it as mine.
There is no greater compliment—no more liberating advice—I could have received. Because I cannot be anyone else. I do not want to be anyone else. Ksenia Milicevic freed my spirit and gave me the confidence to become the painter I was meant to become. And she left me with a website, which I suspect she checks on… We remain in close touch, and I hope we always will. I will always respect and appreciate the woman who took me under her wing without expecting anything other than my future success in return.
My story would be incomplete if I failed to mention that The Art-Resilience Competition had absolutely nothing to do with being resilient during the era of COVID. Rather, it was the coveted 2020 International Art-Resilience Competition held yearly by The International Art-Resilience Movement founded by Ksenia Milicevic. The stated purpose in selecting artwork was in no way related to personal resilience. It was “to present works characterizing the rigor in a search for artistic quality, creativity and technical mastery.”
Although at the time I thought I must have been one of the only applicants, I was mistaken. The competition was overwhelmed by applications, and I was one of only eight American painters whose work was selected for the Exhibition. Before selecting my work, the jury had no idea that I had picked up my first paintbrush only two months before. Or that FIRST was literally my first painting—ever. The whole experience was akin to being on “The Voice” with artwork. All that mattered were those two paintings and how the viewers felt upon seeing them. Naturally, I think this is the way competitions should be. But I have been told it is highly unusual for anyone other than a firmly established artist to be so warmly welcomed into the European art community. The fact that people of their artistic stature believe I have something to contribute to the art world provides all the inspiration I need to continue on this unexpected path.
And that is how I went from zero to sixty in such a short time. Serendipity at its finest.
Your works are found all over the world. What were the most prestigious exhibitions and prizes you received thanks to your art?
Most notably, in November of 2020, a mere six months after I began painting, the Museum Commission of Le Musée de Peinture de Saint-Frajou added COLORS to the Museum’s Permanent Exhibit in France. To have something approved is a complicated process because the Museum does not rotate exhibits; every work of art is permanent. Therefore, each piece has to be approved by every member of the Museum Commission, which only meets four times a year. After I entered my first competition, November was the next time the Commission met. I was lucky.
Recently though, my paintings have been in solo and physical juried exhibitions around the world—from Miami Art Week to New York Art Expo to Japan’s Tokyo Tower Art Fair—and year-long solo Exhibitions—from The MoCA in Los Angeles to Circle Foundation For The Arts in Athens— and countless solo exhibitions around the world—from the United States to Australia.
Of the eighty dedicated global media publications, my artwork has been on the cover of twenty including, most recently. the esteemed Contemporary Celebrity Masters V, Current Masters 6, and Contemporary Art Collectors Book. I was named a 2023, 2022, and 2021 World Master Contemporary Artist, one of the Sixty World Master Artists for 2024, 2023 and 2022, a Contemporary Celebrity Master, and an Artist to Watch in 2023.
I have received countless important art awards including The 2023 Art Diamond Museum Artist Award, The 2023 Art Collector’s Choice Award, and 1500 other juried international awards making every painting in my modern art portfolio an international award winner.
And, yes, I have won prestigious international prizes—forty-nine including The international Prize Michelangelo, The International Prize Leonardo da Vinci, Harmony For Humanity, The International Voices of Tomorrow Art Prize, The Global Consciousness Art Prize, The Faces of Peace Art Prize, The International Art For Peace Prize, and The Gallerium Art Prize.
But the greatest “prize” of all has come from those to whom I sell my paintings. My patrons come from varied walks of life: art collectors, actors, musicians, investors, professionals, and art lovers in general. Because so few are local, I have not had an opportunity to meet most of my collectors. Nonetheless, our interactions continually touch my heart. Every time someone invests in my work, I am humbled and thrilled. I love hearing the excitement in their voices when buyers receive their paintings and call me from faraway places to say how connected they feel to their new investment. To me. there is no greater prize than when they return for more because my work has touched them so powerfully. And every single client has purchased more than one painting.
Thank you to my prized collectors.
Do you have Masters you refer to? Looking at your works of art, I see references to Pollock, Mathieu, Lee Krasner, and above all to American abstract art.
I actually do not refer to anyone else’s artworks when creating my own. Regardless of the beauty created by others, I do not want my paintings to replicate the work of someone else. It is infinitely more fascinating—for all of us—to explore the unfamiliar. I am a particularly adventurous Artist; I will try anything when painting, particularly if it has yet to be explored. By definition we can only create what does not yet exist. So, using color, flow, three-dimensionality, and texture to express myself, I try to create paintings that transcend the familiar. As a result, I have been referred to as everything from an Artist Without Boundaries to a Rule Breaker. I am honored the art world has noticed.
As I am what you might refer to as a blank slate, I can only be who I am. I do not have anyone else’s style to unlearn in order to express my own. I consider this to be a big plus. Absence of training allows me the freedom to experiment and, by doing so, create a painting completely my own. There is no expectation or judgment looming—only subdued excitement from those who are watching to see what I will do next.
Unlike formally trained artists, who tend to use specific themes, subject matters, or color combinations across their bodies of work, I have created a modern art portfolio in which each painting differs in breadth, scale, and concept. Use your imagination as the lens through which to find significance, and my work will create an intrigue and value unlike anything you have yet to experience. You will also find the magic for which I am famous: my paintings somehow change depending upon the angle of your gaze. This makes perfect sense: For, as with life, the meaning in my work depends upon the way you look at it.
Breaking established artistic rules, my artworks are said to possess a ground-breaking style; they are considered uniquely recognizable, defined by the liberal use of unconventional colors, a three-dimensionality that allows new imagery and meaning to appear as you change the angle of your gaze to study my work, the deliberate, yet unrestrained, movement of brushstrokes within the painting to convey abstract concepts, and a palpable sense of artistic freedom. As you point out, my paintings freely cross artistic genres revealing, what art critics refer to as influences ranging from the abstract, modernistic, geometric, expressionistic, and post-impressionistic to paintings reminiscent of the 19th Century Masters This is a quality for which my works are lauded But, asked how I am able to do this, I can only admit to being an unintentional artistic rule-breaker. Unintentional? Yes. Because, as an artist without training, l am simply unaware of the rules. And in a world without rules, the artistic possibilities are endless.
Do you have a secret dream that you would like to reveal to our readers?
Art is a universal language. it transcends boundaries it allows us to communicate, find meaning, and experience the world…together. It is my dream that by translating the colors of my world into the universal language of art, I can help promote unity and inspire all People to celebrate the beauty in life.
Observing your works we notice a great linguistic power. Your style is truly unmistakable. Can you tell us about three of your works that you think our readers should absolutely know?
As an Unintentional Rule Breaker, I can only limit myself to telling you about seven and suggest you do not miss studying SECOND, JACK, SHAPELY, POND, CASCADE, TOTEM, CONTROL, HIDING, SEEKING, SWAN, JEWELRY, CURVES, TOGETHER, and ETHEREAL. Each work is so different, a bit of exploration will help you understand who I am.
My painting adventure began with my aptly named premier creation, FIRST. My intention was to use color, depth, and varied brushstrokes just to see what would happen. A lot happened. I found that creating something meaningful is an intense process in which time ceases to exist. I cannot tell you how often I begin painting what I hope might become a masterpiece and, when I next look at the clock, it is six am. Though this is not particularly good for my circadian rhythm, it does help keep paint off of the telephone. Because I lose track of time when I paint, I could not guess how long it took before I looked into FIRST and realized it was as though people were coming to visit from inside the canvas. I never felt isolated after that; there was always someone to keep me company. The time that takes to happen is always time well spent.
FIRST was critically acclaimed before it was dry. It has been said that FIRST is one of my most mature works. What no one knows is that FIRST was created in our kitchen on a children’s travel easel I happened to find during my Covid-Cleaning Phase. I employed, what can only be referred to as a novel painting techniques, which I still do because I know of no others. But I made such a mess, I was evicted from the kitchen even after cleaning the curtains. I really did get paint all over everything including my golden retriever who sits faithfully under my easel and never complains when I drip paint on her nose.
I also realized the importance of giving each painting a title that would immediately bring forth its image in my mind. This becomes more important as the number of paintings increases. Often my titles only have significance to me. Or I use them a a point of intrigue. In fact, many of my titles are purposely misleading so the viewer will look twice and think, “That isn’t a LAMB,” or whatever the painting is named. By doing this, the viewer is motivated to enter the painting if only to prove me wrong. The result is that the viewer has developed enough interest in the piece to spend time trying to figure out what the title should have been. In essence, this is the same thing as having the viewer assign their own meaning to my work. And, for the viewer to find meaning in my work is all I really want.
BRUSH, one of my rare seascapes, has been compared to the works of nineteenth century painters. The impressionistic effects within have been said to suggest a certain eeriness to the mood. So, l am frequently asked what I was thinking when I created BRUSH.
The truth is that, usually, I am not thinking about anything except what is coming to the forefront as I paint. I paint with intent, but the painting itself somehow takes over. It has a mind of its own. So, I never really feel the need to explain what I was thinking when I painted something, because what I think is less important than what it means to you.
I never want to tell anyone what to think—not even my children. I simply wanted to bring light back into a world that went dark. I began painting to inject color and inspiration into my world and the world of others who need to bring beauty back into their lives. BRUSH was just one example of what appeared when I tried to do that. In the case of BRUSH, I will say that I deeply missed seeing the ocean But, interestingly enough, even though BRUSH is a seascape, the ocean is not visible. Perhaps this created the sense of eeriness suggested by some viewers. I can only guess at their interpretation because I see BRUSH as completely relaxing. This is why I will never really tell you the story a painting is meant to suggest. The story is yours to tell. And, the truth is, a collector’s knowledge of art makes their interpretation of the story much more interesting.
The beautiful NOIR is a study in reflection. It is also a wonderful friend of the dark. Oddly, the dark enhances the painting; NOIR not only glows in the dark but, in the dark, you can see your reflection. I have to say it was a little disconcerting when I first discovered this. But, after seeing myself in the painting, it took me no time to recover and realize that it is an incredible phenomenon.
IN THE DARK is not merely entitled IN THE DARK, it was painted in the dark. A few months earlier, I created a “Man Cave” for my husband. A space all his own with the only television in the house that has the football channel. It also has a ping pong table. I had good intentions.
But…after I was banned from painting in the kitchen, l used the open area next to the Man Cave because the ping pong table held most of my recently acquired art supplies. By the time football season began, I had taken over everything except the sofa and television. In deference to my husband, I did not want to turn on the lights near my easel during the game. So, I painted in the dark (or, in an area that was too dark to see what I was doing). When the game ended, and I turned on the lights, IN THE DARK was like receiving a gift. It has an impressionistic feel with an Abstract twist that will captivate you with its color, texture, and depth. I studied it for days to determine where it should be signed. When I realized it is filled with meaning from every angle, I signed IN THE DARK on an angle to enable its true owner to choose the direction in which to display it. There are countless paintings I have signed on an angle so, when a collector thinks they may have discovered all that the painting has to say, they can turn it and begin all over again. I am not afraid to enter uncharted territory. And I am obviously not afraid of the dark.
And then, there was light: One day I was painting the 60 by 48-inch IRIDESCENCE outside, roughly fifteen feet from where my family was sitting. As I began to move the canvas, my family shrieked and told me not to touch it. I did not see what the fuss was about; because the painting is so large, I was just trying not to drop it. But what everyone else saw, outside in the sunlight, sent them into a state of awe. IRIDESCENCE is literally iridescent. As I moved, the painting was changing colors. Completely. Over and over. It is impossible to capture this in a photograph or even on video; you must either trust me or experience it in person. IRIDESCENCE is an amazing piece, and I made sure it was finished with several coats of UV-light protection, because I envision it on a wall touched by daylight. If I had a home on the beach, IRIDESCENCE would be there. It has very light, relaxing sandy colors.
It is often said there is more to my work than meets the eye. Look closely, and you will notice a magical quality: My paintings are known to change completely depending upon the angle of your gaze. AVERY exemplifies this unintentional phenomenon. AVERY is absolutely magical. It has a very light Impressionist background with an abstract formation over it. If you look at it straight on from a distance, you will see the profile of a very young girl looking left with her ponytail on your right. As you get closer, the profile disappears and the face of a woman emerges straight on. The grid, which can be so prominent in photographs, just fades into the painting. I would tell you the process if I knew what I did. But, I feel as though I paint and these things just happen. In this case, my husband was the one to notice after I named the painting AVERY—the name of a wonderful little girl who blessed our lives the night I created the painting. As I said, “AVERY” is magical. She has also won over thirty international awards.
Although my goal is to inspire others to assign their own meaning to my work, accomplishing that goal is preceded by a creative process. As I tend to look at things around me in relation to color, the first thing I do is choose colors that will complement one another, or not complement one another at all, depending upon how I feel. Color and texture become the focus of my composition. After the colors have been chosen, I literally just explore where the paint takes me.
To do this, I try different techniques. For example, with BLUE DOG, once the figure appeared, I used my fingers to uncover what consists of a beautiful mixture of colors within the layers of the painting. BLUE DOG is a statement piece. When I show it, people usually have to pick their jaws up from the ground; all they can say is that BLUE DOG is magnificent.
Gayle Printz is definitely an established artist today. What advice would you like to give to young artists approaching the art world for the first time?
· Infuse inspiration into your world and use that energy to inspire others;
· Believe that expressing yourself artistically is a good thing;
· Try things; create what you want to create, particularly if has never been done before; and,
· When you stumble upon something you love, embrace it with all of your heart.
For you may uncover that you have the rare opportunity to enrich your own life and the lives of People around the globe.
Can you tell us a secret related to your art that you have never told anyone?
My paintings don the walls of some people with extremely recognizable names.
See why by visiting my Modern Art Gallery at www.GaylePrintz.com. And, please, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].
Thank you for having me.
- “GAYLE PRINTZ: A WORLD MASTER ARTIST,” An Interview by Dottore Salvatore Russo, Art Historian, Curator, Contemporary Celebrity Masters, Pages 7 – 17, Gayle Printz: COVER ARTIST, Palermo, Italy, September 2023