Gale Whitney Artist Statement

Winston Churchill said “Man will occasionally

stumble over the truth, but most times he

will pick himself up and carry on”.  I love this

quote because it rings true and makes me

laugh at the same time.  What it expresses is

what inspires me in my Social Series

artwork.  In this work, I blend current events

and stories together with fairy tales, nursery

rhymes, mythology, Americana and popular

culture.  Drawing parallels between all of

these, I retell the stories in new ways.

Vincent Van Gogh said “I know nothing with

any certainty, but the sight of the stars

makes me dream”.  My Nature Series is

inspired by thoughts such as these.  Paying

tribute to the natural world, I create stylized

“snapshots” of sights one might see while

hiking a mountain trail, strolling through a

city park, or sitting in a garden.

The techniques I use in my most recent work include wax resist, painting with dye, immersion dyeing,

appliqué, embroidery, quilting, beading, drawing, and assorted other techniques which may be needed for a

given piece.  Each of my quilts begins with a blank canvas of white fabric.

I brush, spatter or immerse the fabric in dye, then brush or spatter with wax.  After several layers of dyeing

and waxing, the wax is removed and the dye is set.  Next, I add more shapes, colors and textures using

appliqué and embroidery.   Finally, I quilt the piece to give it a three- dimensional quality.