30+ years experience in graphics and the creative.
15+ years experience in instructional design and online education.
15+ years experience in art instruction-in class, online.

 

portfolio3 portfolio1 portfolio1 portfolio1 portfolio1 portfolio1 portfolio1 portfolio1 portfolio1 portfolio1 portfolio2 portfolio4 portfolio5 portfolio10 portfolio6 portfolio8 portfolio9 portfolio6 portfolio7 portfolio9

Haiti 2013

Photo by Artist

Photography 2016

Seattle

Photography 2016

Seattle

AOP Gallery Show

(Association of Photographers) London, Sublime, Representations of Awe in Contemporty Imagery, January 6-26, 2006

Photography 2016

Mookie and Ma

Photography 2016

Seattle

Photography 2016

Seattle

Photography 2016

Seattle

Photography 2016

Seattle

Hawaiian Temple print

Temple Engraving
GL Nelson, 2003
Intaglio Print, hand colored

Bird Boat

Engraving, 2003

China 2007

Hangzhou Orient Culture Park

My Name is EzelL

Inspired illustrations and message - Read the story behind this little book... Gayle Lynn Nelson

Backyard Hawaii

Photo by Artist

Grand Central Central Park Park Avenue

GL Nelson 2004 Engravings HandColoured

Bass Performance Hall

Fort Worth TX GL Nelson 2005 Engraved Print, Digitally Enhanced

London Gallery Exhibit

Do Not Allow Katrina To Steal Your Joy GL Nelson Pascagoula MS London Gallery Exhibit 9-11-2005

Ferns Hawaii

Photo by Artist

Garden Quintessence

GL Nelson 2008 Photos-DigitalMontage

Alki Beach

2016

Seattle 2017

Photo by artist

Mae Seattle 2015

Photography

More connections. Less connection.

Photo by Artist, 2017

small portfolio1 small portfolio2 small portfolio3 small portfolio4 small portfolio4 small portfolio1 small portfolio2 small portfolio3 small portfolio4 small portfolio1 small portfolio2 small portfolio3 small portfolio4
themed object
Gayle Nelson
get in touch

WHY I LOVE PRINTMAKING, and HOW MY WORK IS DONE...

Gayle_picI remember waiting with my mother at International Paper for my father to finish his workday. It was the 60’s and we had one car. My brother and I would play on the outside steps, hanging on the railing upside down and not realizing how long my mother would have to linger at IP for Dad to finish his day at the presses. The smell evidently was intoxicating because it took hold of me early on and I had the printmaking fever from here on out. Later on in my teens I would work for a year at that same plant standing at the side of the press line sorting colorful labels as they came down the never-ending line. To this day I fascinate over old labels, embossed in gold, so rich in color and intricate lines on their antique ivory backgrounds smelling of days gone by. My great childhood memories are of black and white television, mostly G-rated songs, and of simpler times when it was a safer world for kids, for all of us for that matter. The uncomplicated Midwest—this is my background.

My first print: McCuskey’s Hill was a zinc-etched plate of my favorite place growing up in Illinois. My brother and I used to toboggan down this hill in the dead of winter until our hands and feet were numb from the bitter cold. This piece was submitted with others from my High School art days and won me an art scholarship to Bradley University.

Family and career took me on another path and school went by the wayside for awhile  although I remained in the art world as an Art Director of Rotor & Wing Magazine and Art Director for Ad Planner group at Multi-Ad Services, both in Peoria, Illinois.

The minute I walked into the Printmaking Room in college, I knew I was home. The smell of the etching ink (far superior and richer smelling than oils or the mundane acrylics), the old brown presses, and messy tarlatan rubbing rags all beckoned me to return to this world of printmaking. My Senior Body of Work led to a museum showing of my prints at the Wiregrass Museum of Art in Dothan, Alabama. Ironically, my art studio had burned to the ground just a few weeks before the museum show, and I lost years of treasured artwork, my children’s portraits, and original oils and acrylics. Fortunately the university had required copies of all of my prints which they returned to me after the fire, making the museum show still possible. This is the beauty of printmaking and multiples.

After being accepted into the Syracuse ISDP MA Illustration Program, I was refreshingly submerged in the creative world again. Knowing faculty guided me to focus on printmaking. Although I had started out in oils, acrylics, and even digital media, printmaking is my heart, soul, and spirit, and will remain an essential part of my life.

My work expresses an ongoing fascination with the beauty of wonderfully diverse cities and unique places. From New York City and the Hawaiian Islands to whimsical fairy tale places and fables retold, I have pulled prints of what I love best--structure and beauty, and fables retold. My work reflects an old-world flavor in a modern day setting. From concept to finished print, the creative process involves rediscovering line, texture, color, and composition. My artistic creations reflect my heart, soul, and spirit.

http://www.nelsonillustration.com/student_creations.htm

 

Recently I have traveled to Haiti. My illustrations in the little book “My Name is EzelL” were inspired and…

HOW MY ART IS DONE… Step-By-Step

step1 step2 step3 step4

1) After conferring with the writer on what was needed for the commissioned book illustrations, I photographed numerous images for action reference. The original digital photo is always flipped horizontally in printmaking (with the exception of serigraphy).

2) The image is then scanned to PhotoShop and edited to enhance the composition. Here I added leaves, more trees, animals, an outhouse and jar, and turned the day into night.

 

 

3) This step is my favorite part of the printmaking process—engraving the Lexan plate with my scribing tool. The plate is then inked, the paper prepared, and the prints are pulled on the press.

4) After the prints are pulled, I colorize them with acrylics or watercolors. I prefer watercolor as it lifts out easier and allows the print to shine through. The oil-based engraving ink repels the water-based color and the watercolor works well on the Arches Cover paper.

slide up button