| VIRGINIA SLIM, ACRYLIC, 55 x 65. |
By Bonnie Gangelhoff
BORN: Walla Walla, WA.
ART EDUCATION: Bachelor of fine arts in painting from Oregon College of Art and Craft, Portland, OR.
STYLE: Narrative.
SECOND-CHOICE CAREER: Marine biologist or secretary. “I love to type, run errands, and organize things.”
OTHER PASSIONS: “My husband, reading, houseplants. I have a cactus collection.”
MANTRA OR MOTTO: “When I was young, we moved a lot, so I was always the new girl. I remember my mom telling me that I shouldn’t be afraid, because everyone wants to be loved. When I’m scared or feeling shy, I remember that.”
QUIRKIEST TRAIT: “I’m not quirky. I am really quite dull.”
BIGGEST FEAR: The dark.
FAVORITE STUDIO MUSIC: Van Morrison, Cat Power, and Tori Amos.
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: “My uncle is an illustrator. He told me when I was just starting out to go to my studio every day, just like a job, no matter how I felt.”
PET PEEVE: Vegans.
FAVORITE ARTWORK BY ANOTHER ARTIST: The Helga Pictures by Andrew Wyeth. “I’m also a huge fan of David Hockney and William Morris because I like his textile designs.”
PRICE RANGE: $500 to $5,500.
CREATIVE SPARK: The city of London. “I also get inspired by color swatches and strange pairings of colors like you see in candy shops. My mom’s a quilter and her studio is filled with fabulous, crazy colors and textures, and that inspires me.”
GALLERIES: Attic Gallery, Portland, OR; Hallway Gallery, Bellevue, WA; Winsor Gallery, Vancouver, BC; www.gretchengammell.com.
Featured in our annual “21 Under 31” article in September 2008