(Image: "Good for You" by Gail Sauter)

Gail Sauter received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Oklahoma and has had numerous exhibits both nationally as well as internationally, from France to Russia to Italy. Gail's studio is in Kittery, Maine.

“The smallest moments in life are often those that touch us most deeply as human beings. They form a collective human experience and trigger our visual memories by reminding us of people we've known, something we've done, or places we've been. Details and features remain ambiguous, but the essence of the moment emerges with sudden clarity and brings the past to life again. I find magic in these fleeting moments, their transition from what we see into what we remember, and the way they linger to dwell within us.” —Gail Sauter

When did you first realize that you were going to be an artist and when did you first start making art?
It seems like I always knew I would be an artist. I made a sculptural mask in 3rd grade. It was a green monkey mask and was highly praised by my classmates. I remember walking home with my best friend Sue who had also made a monkey mask only hers was brown. She was amazed that I made mine green—and I was amazed that she was amazed—green just seemed like the right color for a monkey mask!

Who or what inspires you?
I am very moved by the emotional tones that Inness, and Twachtman capture in their work. They convey time and place with an impact that recreates the experience of being present in that moment. Turner and Frankenthaler are all about movement through space for me, and I absolutely adore Sargent, Sorolla and Morisot for their brushwork and luminosity…and Van Gogh for pure courage and color!

(Image: "Acadia Complements" by Gail Sauter)

Is (was) anyone else in your family in the arts?
Yes, my mother is a musician and my father a photographer. I grew up drawing while my Mother practiced, and I got my first camera at age 5. We were living in Japan and I have vivid memories of taking photographs of the countryside and people.

Are you self-trained or did you go to art school?
Actually both. When the academics end, the real training continues for the rest of your life.

Is the process of creating your art long or short?
My working process is very heavily weighted time-wise toward the non-painting study, thought, and mental preparation of my images before I pick up my brush. It’s kind of like jumping rope—I don’t jump in until I have my timing, vision and thoughts aligned with the swing of the rope.

Tell us something about your work.
I strive to capture the extraordinary in the ordinary. I like my paintings to elevate very common experiences and say, “Look at that! Isn’t that wonderful!” I’m drawn to the universality of fleeting events and the continuum of time and timelessness residing in the same space, all of which is in our care for the future

(Image: "Her Place" by Gail Sauter)

Do you have a subject matter that defines you as an artist?
I’m intrigued with memories—not the depiction of what I’m seeing, but the after image that stays in my mind’s eye. It’s what we remember and what we carry with us. It can be someone that reminds me of someone else, someone doing something I’ve seen before, archetypal relationships, landscapes that evoke a mood—anything that conveys a universal truth.

What makes you stay with a particular subject matter? Why are you drawn to it?
This theme of memories and the passing of time has always provided the foundation for my work. It keeps getting deeper and more intricate as I explore its nuances. The actual “what” (trees, water, people) of the subject lay on top of this exploration. They may be what is first noticed by the viewer, but for me, they only serve as the vehicle for exploration.

How do you stay motivated?
Motivation doesn’t enter into it. You just keep going.

Has your work changed from when you first became an artist?
My work has always centered on deep spatial relationships and a personal connection to the passing of time and the eternal. However, in order to express myself more strongly, I’ve worked with three major mediums in the past 30 years (10 years in watercolors led to 10 years working with pastels which led to 10 years working in oils). Each move to another medium has been prompted by my need to grow and express my vision in new ways. Each medium has brought with it its inherent strengths and weaknesses—the transparency of watercolor, the opacity of pastels and the endless combinations of both in oils. I have learned from each and I am synthesizing my experiences in all of them in my current work.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Work…and then work some more. Painting is like brushing your teeth—you never do such a good job today that you can skip doing it tomorrow.

(Image: "Majesty and Mystery" by Gail Sauter)

What kind of comment do you despise the most when overheard at one of your openings?
It isn't really the comments that make me nervous, but silence. Silence makes me very nervous.

What kind of comment pleases you the most when overheard at one of your openings?
Again, it’s usually not so much a comment, but more of an expression someone might have on his or her face while they’re looking at a painting. You can tell that some memory got triggered and they are reminded of someone or someplace.

How have you handled the business side of being an artist?
I have wonderful galleries that handle my work and I love it that they do the selling so I can paint.

Do you have any outside interests other than art?
My passion, other than painting, is traveling and my poodle. Of course, I paint when I travel, and my dog comes along even to Europe, so I suppose the answer to that question is really “No.” I’m interested in many far ranging subjects but they all seem to wind their way back to art.

(Image: "Evening Out" by Gail Sauter)

Are you disciplined about your creative process (in other words, do you treat the process like a job, where you keep particular hours in the studio), or are you more spontaneous?
I am in the studio essentially all day long, every day of the week…except when I’m not. Most of my paintings are begun on location, but my “sketching” is done by looking at my subject. This can take as long as 45 minutes of direct observation before I begin to paint. I feel that this can be the most crucial time of the whole painting process. The longer I look before beginning to paint, the clearer the idea for my painting becomes. Although they are small (generally 10x10), my field pieces are fully realized paintings and not quick studies. From those smaller paintings, larger works are created in the studio, oftentimes bearing only a slight resemblance to the original “seed” idea.

How would your life change if you were no longer allowed to create art?
I can’t even imagine life without painting. I honestly don’t know what I would do or where I would start.

What's the best part of being a full time, working artist?
You never get to the end of the journey—always the next painting will be the best!

What's the worst part of being a full time, working artist?
I think it’s probably rougher on my family and friends than it is for me. I think they sometimes wish I was a “regular” person—someone who isn’t so intense.

Where can we find your work?
You can go to my website, www.GailSauter.com. You’ll find a full list of my galleries there.

- Brenda Bonneville, editor

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