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.
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