GILLIAN TYLER

Gillian Tyler

Looking at Gillian Tyler’s paintings is like having a pleasant conversation with her. This completely unpretentious and down to earth artist shares her wisdom through her images without preaching or forcing a message. Her paintings are filled with peace and contentment just like the artist herself. Art education and creativity have been a part of her life since childhood. But even though she was surrounded by artists in her family and was showing glimpses of talent as a child, she did not expect to become a professional artist. It hadn’t happened until, while at Smith College, she met Leonard Baskin internationally known artist and educator. Baskin who was also known for perfectionism and very harsh but constructive opinions encourage young Gillian to pursue her career as an artist. With a little more confidence and experience she continued her study at Brooklyn Museum School and Kunst Academie in Hamburg, Germany. After returning to the United States she settled in the small town of Thetford, VT where she owed and operated a limited edition press using old fashioned wood carving methods. Her extremely detailed images were used to illustrate a large library of books as well as for visual interpretations of poems and tales. But after several years of working primarily in black and white and creating images drawn from interior visions Gillian Tyler found herself challenged by the external world with an array of colors to choose from. In 1989 she initiated work in oil and watercolor under another well know artist Donald Stone. She started to look at the landscapes more seriously challenging herself again with a different way of seeing things from her closest neighborhood to the infinity of the ocean. Gillian Tyler enjoys her life and shares her energy with others through her work. When asked "What’s next", she might say: "I don’t know, I feel I am going backwards towards home maybe."