I have always been drawn to the face.

As Early as High School, I completed a series of watercolors of all the people in my life of whom i was related to or intimate with from Texas, to Philadelphia and NYC.  Over a year’s time, at least 100 paintings were completed. I next moved to woodcuts, followed by monoprints: but as time went on, hand printing yielded equal parts paint on the paper and glass, which was not productive.  This compelled me to leave the paint on the glass, still working within the process of monoprinting.  But the single pane of glass was not as compelling as multiple panels (like grids for a mural), and thus my love affair with windows was born!!!  And as time went on, 4 became 6 and even 16 panes.  The complexity of fitting the subject into the panes was of great interest to me.  The whole tension of who was looking at whom – viewer or sitter- creates a complex struggle with voyeurism which has become the nature of the work.

My newest direction breaks through the glass and now incorporates broken mirrors as well taking the face apart while holding it together, moving into the figure, creating yet another dimension of tension, moving in front, behind and out from the window.

Depending on who you are and where you are in your life at that present moment in time, each face takes on a different meaning.  Are you looking in on them: are they catching you?  What else is behind that window?  That is all dependent on your point of view.

As for ink drawings, again it is the face which compels me.  Here I am working with a traditional medium (ink), which is non traditionally applied. Over the years sticks, leaves, paper clips, paper shavings and rubber bands have replaced the paintbrush.  With these materials I am left to build my figure as I would a sculpture.

– Gail S.Kotel

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ARTWORK

Glass & 3D Portraits

$1000 - $3000


Watercolors

$500- $1500

Ink Drawings

$900 - $1500


Bubblewrap Paintings

$950 - $3000

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UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

KYO GALLERY Opening show October 20th 2022 Alexandria, Va

TAKEOUT PORTRAITS for Covid Heroes


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SOLO EXHIBITIONS

Shuttered Beauty, Honey’s Sit n Eat, Philadelphia, Pa., February 2021-Present

Bubbles, Social House, Philadelphia, Pa., September 2019-June 2020

Faces All Around, Settle Down Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., October, 2016
FACES: Watercolor Show, La Va Cafe, Philadelphia, Pa., – Sept 2nd – Sept 30th 2016
Water Color FACES, The Healing Arts Collective, First Friday, Philadelphia, Pa., June 3rd – July 2016
Found Faces, Giant Steps Picture Gallery, Philadelphia Pa., April – May 2013
Art Up, Mugshots, Philadelphia, Pa., October-December 2012
Exploded Windows, La VA, Philadelphia, Pa., October – November 2011
Daffy’s Artists Window, Daffy’s, Philadelphia, Pa., July 4 – August 2, 2010
Ink Figures; Faces, Milkboy, Ardmore Pa.
I’m Watching You, One gallery, Philadelphia, Pa., December 2008 – February 2009
Looking Into Glass, Sedgwick Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa., March 2008
Textures in Religion and Society, First Unitarian Church, Portland, Or., 1994
Portraits/Faces/Ideas, Oasis Cafe, Portland, Or., 1993
Ideas in Prints, Common Grounds, Portland, Or., 1993
Observations of an Outsider, Cafe Fresco, Portland, Or., 1993

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GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Women in Art Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA March 4-27th,2021

About Face Plastic Club, Philadelphia, Pa., February 7 – April 30th, 2021

Small Works Show Plastic Club, Philadelphia, Pa., December 10 – March 4th, 2021

2019 PSC Workshop Show, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, Pa May 6-29th 2019

Your Plus-One, Mount Airy Contemporary, Philadelphia, Pa, May 11-15th 2019

PSC Workshop Show Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, Pa., June 17 – July 8th, 2016
Meeting The Diversities, Knapp Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa., December 2010 – January 2011
ART Feeds, Earth Bread and Brewery, Philadelphia, Pa., November – December 2010
NothWest Artist’s Collective, Allens Lane Arts Center, Pa, September 3 – October 22, 2010
Point of View, Old City Jewish Art Center, Pa., June 2010
Holiday Art, Earth+Bread+Brewery, Pa., December 2009 – January 2010
Lookin’ For Love…Not Just The Brotherly Kind, Highwire Gallery, Pa., February 2009 – March 2009
Through My Window, Smile Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa., January 2009 – February 2009
Mount Airy USA, Philadelphia, Pa., November 2008 – January 2009
Earth Bread and Brewery, Philadelphia, Pa., October 2008 – November 2008
Northwest Artist’s Collective, 3rd Annual Membership Show,Community Audio, September 2008 – October 2008
Found Objects/New Contexts, Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Annual Members Exhibition, Philadelphia, Pa., July 2008
Envisioning Othello, Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, Pa., June 2008
Musings on Nature, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa., June 2008 – October 2008
Visually Speaking, MediaBureau Studios, Philadelphia, Pa., 2007
You Are Here, University of Bridgeport Gallery, Bridgeport, Ct., 2004
Artists Invite Artists, Art/Place Gallery, Southport, Ct., 2002
Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial Exhibition, Fleisher Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa., 2001, 2000
Salon Show, Organization of Independent Artists, NYC, 1994
Shelter For, Before and Because of Death, Visuals Arts Gallery, SUNY Purchase, Ny., 1992
Choice, AIR Gallery, NYC, 1992
Arte Nuova, Scuola Lorenzo de Medeci Gallery, Florence, Italy, 1990

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AFFILIATIONS

Member Since 2016 – Philadelphia Sketch Club

President 2009-2011/Member 2007-2011
Northwest Artists Collective. The Northwest Artists Collective is a group of over twenty painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers and fiber artists in Philadelphia’s Northwest corridor of Germantown, Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill. The Collective members are professional artists who participate in the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST) and have had extensive group exhibitions in the Philadelphia area since their inception in 2005.

Member since 2008 – Artist’s Equity.
Member since 2008 – Post – Philadelphia Open Studio Tours

Member since 2007 – Davinci Art Alliance.

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RELATED EXPERIENCE

Studio Assistant, Josely Carvalho, NYC, 1994 – 1995
Teaching Assistant, Welding, Reed College, Portland, Or., 1993 – 1994
Project Assistant/Performer, Beauty and the Beast, performance with Petah Coyne and Iren Holtman,
Neuberger Museum, Purchase, NY; Artists Space, NYC 1992
Studio Assistant, Jon Friedman, 1992, 1990
Project Assistant, Kathleen McCarthy, MTA Arts for Transit, NYC 1991
Project Assistant, Elana Herzog, Snug Harbor Sculpture Festival, NYC, 1991
Project Assistant, Paul Daniel and Linda DePalma, Snug Harbor Sculpture Festival, NYC, 1991
Teaching Assistant, Foundation Sculpture with Margaret Cogswell. SUNY Purchase, 1991
Studio Assistant, Jody Culkin, 1990
Artist in Residence, Drawing, Exploration Summer Program, Wellsley College, Ma., 1990
Project Assistant, A Future for Every Child, mural with Janet Braun-Reinitz, Brooklyn, Ny., 1989
Photographer, NYU Medical Center, Cell Biology Department, NYC, 1989
Intern, Cityarts Workshop, Inc., NYC, 1988

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If you'd like to inquire about a piece of work, gallery openings, or wish to request a custom piece, you can do so using the form below or by calling or texting me at 215-834-9799.

 
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