Gayle Higgins

Gayle Higgins

gayle@higgins1.net

Website: gaylehiggins.com

   Colorado Springs, CO, 80920

As far back as I can remember I have had a deep interest in color and drawing. During my childhood, I favored blank paper over coloring books, and always preferred mixing my own unique colors with my box of 64 crayons. I found drawing so fulfilling that I can't remember a time I wasn't thinking about my next project. I received my BFA in Art with a concentration in Graphic Design from Colorado State University. After graduation, I worked as a graphic artist for several years. A workshop in colored pencil with Bet Borgeson was such a strong influence on me that I worked in colored pencil exclusively for many years. I originally took a watercolor class to enhance my work in colored pencil. My first class was at Bemis School of Art in Colorado Springs with Karen Simkiss. I love the fluidity and transparency of watercolor. My experiences with colored pencils show in my watercolors. Everyone and every painting teaches me something new. I have continued to study on my own and with outstanding instructors such as Sue Hinton and Thomas Owen. Tom’s instruction and feedback in particular have greatly contributed to building my confidence and skills. My subject matter usually originates with observation and imagination. Usually a simple scene or object captivates me. I put a lot of thought into what I am trying to capture long before I start to draw. Quite often, I work from photos to capture the changing light important to my work. The original drawing has to be accurate for me to be satisfied with the finished piece, so all of my preparation sets me on the right path. With sketches in pencil and in color, I work towards a finished idea to put on paper. I am then ready to begin. When I work with color I am reminded that I have limitless possibilities to express myself.