Art through body and medium.
My passion is being outside and looking at the subtleties of nature . There is so much beauty. I wouldn't try to capture it, but I do try and make more.
Mountains, ocean, and harvested fruits and vegetables feature prominently in my work. The refuge of nature - to play in the mountains, breath in the ocean air and to grow so much of my own food - has given me the foundation to look closely at each element of nature and give thanks for them in the pigments of oil and watercolor.
I started to expand my work to use plaster and casting when I was pregnant, after a friend of mine cast my belly. The birth bodies took off and I have since painted about sixty belly casts.
Lately I've been expanding my work to include commissioned paintings. Favorite machines, a special pet, favorite view, surf spot, flower, etc. are not only fun to produce, but also interesting as mementos for the folks who love them. I also like to paint custom mailboxes and light switch covers and can do that as a commission as well.
Bio
I attended Sierra College, Chico State and the University of Montana where I earned my BA in Fine Art with the emphasis in painting. After school, I moved to Taos, NM to immerse myself in the art culture and explore the high desert at 8,000ft. I wanted to see the land that Georgia O'Keefe studied and painted years before, as she is a great inspiration of mine.
After Taos, I moved to Truckee where I established myself in the art circuit. In addition to playing in the mountains, I spent a lot of time selling my paintings at local galleries across Northern California. I also participated in solo and group art shows in Truckee, Tahoe City and Auburn, CA and was in the open Art Studios Tour. I have been an art teacher and facilitated murals both solo and with children.
I currently work in my home studio in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, where I live with my husband, two sons, and enough flora and fauna to keep me inspired for the next lifetime.
Dedication
I dedicate this site to my father Marty Gessler, who was the first to hand me a brush. He was a prolific sign painter, graphic designer, fine artist painter, and art teacher.
