Gale Cleveland has always loved nature and hiking through the woods with her two flat coated retrievers. She sees beauty in all of nature, even in its winter dormancy, as well as in objects that have passed their prime and ostensible function but still offer important messages about the cycle of life. She views nature as a metaphor for life’s many complexities.
Form has always intrigued Gale, whether it be the skeletal formation of a line of barren leafless trees, framed within a backdrop of winter’s sunset landscape, highlighted by a pinkish, purple sky; skeletal remains of wildlife; or the filigree infrastructure of a leaf —whatever nature presents to her. She sees as much beauty in the impressions of life that has passed as in presence and vibrancy. She frequently wears a backpack as she heads out on hikes with her dogs in anticipation of treasures to be discovered as she “shops in nature”.
Gale loves to co-create with nature throughout the seasons, incorporating mixed media objects into her work. Since retiring in 2021 after 40 years of being a licensed clinical social worker, she has embraced both whimsy and depth— the former through miniature scenes in her fairy gardens and the latter through more introspective compositions in her shadow boxes. Each of her works is unique. She uses various preservation techniques to both sanitize and preserve the organic matter incorporated into her pieces. Crystals often appear in both her fairy gardens and shadow boxes to enhance their messages. She also expresses her love of antiques by frequently framing some of her fairy gardens within vintage containers.
Gale is also a Reiki practitioner and teacher and infuses Reiki energy into the finishing stage of each work. She trusts that each of her creations will find its way to the person that resonates with it the most. Her intention is twofold in creating her mixed media works: first as a gift to herself through immersion in the flow of co-creating with nature’s items of beauty, intrigue, and wonder; second, to invite others to partake in appreciation, celebration, and reflection—and perhaps to own and honor their uniqueness and, yes, even their imperfections.
Title: Transformation
Price: $200
Materials: Snakeskin, mushroom in shape of a heart, polite heart crystal, quartz arrowhead point, selenite rectangles
About this art: The only thing that is constant is change! As much as we may resist, change is inevitable. We often go through a grieving process as we experience change for it does involve loss; of youth, the loss of innocence as our children grow from helpless infants to competent adults. People we love die. Seasons come and seasons go - often a wave of sadness runs through us as we bid one season a farewell as it loses is grip on earth only to make way for the next. For inherent in change and loss is rebirth and new life. Such a paradox!
Title: Souls Set Free
Price: $100
Materials: Butterfly, parrot feather, Japanese maple leaves, ginkgo leaf, houttuynia cordata leaf, baby’s breath, green quartz points
About this art: In the autumn of their life, all these beautiful creations of nature are set free, only leaving behind a gentle imprint of the thriving life they once embodied. With an emphasis on balance and a whisper of the promise of the continuation of life ever after.
Title: A Job Well Done
Price: $300
Material: Hornet’s nest (found on hike with dogs), heart stone (found in Napa Valley vineyard), tip of squirrel’s tail (found on hike with dogs), crystals: bloodstone heart, green calcite, red carnelian, yellow citrine, black tourmaline, white, translucent selenite bars
About this art: Centering on the hornet’s nest, this work honors diligence, protection, resilience, and community working toward a higher purpose. It is punctuated by the tip of a squirrel’s tail, a comrade in the shared language of production and survival - and contained within the crystal aura, each element contributing its unique vibration to the rhythm of life. This piece invites contemplation of fulfillment, rest and earned stillness.
Title: The Afterlife
Price: $250
Material: Reishi mushroom (found on hike with my sister in Western Massachusetts), magnetic hematite, copper wire, natural organic item
About this art: Often considered the “mushroom of immortality”, the Reishi mushroom emerges from decayed wood. Unique in its form and texture, grounded in its energy from the universe, its lessons and soul live on. This composition invites contemplation of what lingers - energy, memory and connection - after change or loss. It may also highlight one’s transformation through adversity, with the possibility to reemerge with embodied wisdom.
Title: Transformation - From & Hawk
Price: $150
Materials: Fro skeleton, hawk feather, rocks, organic materials, selenite points
About this art: …Although a hawk can appear much more formidable than a frog, they both have valuable lessons to teach us. Both hawk and frog can symbolize transformation through which the gifts of our souls can manifest on earth. Hawk soars through the air exercising its freedom where from hops between water and land while also leaping between etheric and earthly realms. they are respectively taking different routs to a similar destination which is fulfilling their soul’s mission. Consequently, they give us humans permission to honor our transoformation in fulfilling our soul’s purpose.