Haiku to Art

Uncaptured beauty
Fermented by soul, pouring
to receptive hearts.

                  —© Gail Lois Jaffe

I have painted ever since I was a child. After all, it is the child whose perceptions form the artist within. As a child I liked to paint portraits and still lifes.

Later in life, although I always painted, I studied psychology and became aware of the fundamental human need to be witnessed, really seen and understood. I became a psychotherapist and practiced in many settings over the past 30 years, always displaying my art on the walls of my various offices.

Art is healing and healing is art. I wrote and illustrated a book, The Enchanted Mirror, (Amazon.com) which combined my two passions, healing and creating. Written in 1999, the book was sold in the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., and bookstores throughout the country and remains a classic.

I named my personal style of artwork Soulscapes©, because I paint my interior landscapes and also illustrate other people's visions by commission. Having studied Jungian psychology for many years, I appreciate the interplay between inner and outer life, symbolism, and the personal individuation journey, and this is all reflected in my artwork. An avid practitioner of Yoga, I recently obtained a 200 hour certification as a registered yoga teacher, which has enhanced my personal practice of Yoga. I strive towards balance in mind-body-spirit, which is another theme of my art work.

I create my work when I am inspired by an inner image, and then the execution of the design just flows. I use various media including watercolor, gouache and mixed media.

I have taken classes with wonderful teachers over the years: Bobbie Slane, Robert Gross, Lee Willig, Baxter Rains, Frances Sprout, Pierre Mion, Pablo Siebel and a plein air painting workshop in France with David Chang, FIU art professor. I still, for the most part, consider myself self taught in that I am experimental and eclectic in my expression.

I have exhibited at Bodega Blue, and have been juried into many Art in Public Places exhibitions in Vero Beach, Florida and The Shy Rabbit Gallery in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Taking a hiatus from public displays, I was recently invited to exhibit at Tulaa Gallery in Vero Beach.

I would describe my work as a mosaic of magical realism, feminine, courageous, unique and profoundly whimsical. When people look at my art, I would like to invite them to identify aspects of their own inner journey and ability to heal and transform themselves...and also to simply smile and enjoy the art!

If my art resonates with you and you would like to share your comments, or inquire about purchase of original art, commission a Soulscapes©, or portrait, or select a print of your favorite original, please make inquiries at gaillois@hotmail.com. Thank you for visiting my website. Please share this site with art lovers and friends.