About Me

It's all about the color.

Gwen has been an artist since she was old enough to grasp a crayon.  Her earliest works included elaborate greeting cards and posters created from sand paper.  She majored in fine art and journalism at Macalester College, lighting the art department on fire with her photography Tarot deck.

 Journalism adventures included hard news, professional sports and feature pieces.  Early mentors included Jim Brandenburg, Jay Maisel, Edna Bullock and King Dexter.  

Her early work in fine art photography involved black and white images with art and design. She then vaulted into a body of work termed phaintings.  The work began with a black and white image that was then painted with oil paints.  Each image became a custom work of art.  

Her career as a medical illustrator began around the same time.  She was privileged to work with many senior scientists at UCSF including Nobel laureate Harold Varmus, MD. Her work was published in every major medical publication, including JAMA, Cell, Journal of Cell Biology and many others.

Gwen’s obsession with orchids has been constant through her career.  She was instantly smitten with the first red cattleya she viewed in person as a teenager. She’s photographed them, grown them professionally, created orchid arrangements with both living plants and cut flowers and painted the more unusual varieties.

Her interest in the rare and demanding art form of verre eglomise began with an introduction to the art by the famed interior designer, Alidad.  The challenge of thinking and painting in reverse, as well as the exacting notion that you begin with the tiniest details appeals to her obsession with detail.

With many years as a professional artist, I can give you and your project the attention it deserves, get it done in the time frame agreed upon and on budget.