Gail Mardfin grew up in Connecticut, attended Skidmore College, and graduated from Trinity College in Hartford. After moving to New Jersey in 1975, I earned a masters in studio art from Montclair University. I was head of the art department at Purnell School in Pottersville for many years, teaching a myriad of art courses, before starting my own graphic design business in 1996, where I was the principal designer. 

After living 40 years in New Jersey, which I thoroughly enjoyed (co-founding ARTsee, an artist open studio tour along the way), in 2015 I moved across the country to northern California and now live about fifteen minutes from my wonderful granddaughter Azalea. The pleasure is all mine as we spend time together each week, often making art together. I am enjoying life in my Sonoma County environment, different from the East Coast in many ways.

I am a member of Sebastopol Center for the Arts and AWS, the Art Workshop of Western Sonoma County (for which I do the newsletter and website). Click to read a lovely interview about me and my art, which appeared in the AWS April 2019 Newsletter.

For those who feel they must pigeonhole an artist’s style – well, sorry. I taught ALL mediums of art for many years and there are so many things I love to do…I enjoy watercolor, photography, collage, and acrylic and mixed media painting. My subject matter, whether visual or text-based, has always been about SEEING THE GOOD, for I believe what we focus on, we get more of in our lives.

I am once again teaching art to contemporaries who have the time and inclination to be exploring their own creativity, and this brings me great joy. I am a natural born teacher! My personal aspiration is to live each day with awareness and joy. Showing up in the world as an artist helps fulfill this intent.