Gayle Anita
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Gayle Anita’s life journey led to the arts. Music, art, and
literature were engrained through four generations of her
family. Her first job after graduating high school was as
the window designer for the posh department store in the
Sacramento Bon Marche. Though just seventeen, she won
Best Window Design and went on to won two more in the
next years. Her artwork in the window displays always
drew an audience.
Anita left Sacramento for a cross country trip that ended up
in New York City where she decided to live for the next ten
years. She wanted to immerse herself in the arts.
After seeing the vibrant mosaics in the neighborhood
churches, she was drawn to the glowing colors which were
illuminated only by candlelight and windows. The young
artist began experimenting with glass and clay techniques.
She produced several large pieces and presented her work
to a small east side gallery. The gallery included her is a
group show, which included a young Andy Warhol.
The show sold one of her pieces and within a year the
mosaics were selling well, along with her charcoal drawings
and oil paintings. Her commissions kept her in art supplies
and cat food.
Life in New York was fun and challenging, but after ten
years the West was beginning to pull her back. Anita
missed the land, rivers, and mountains of Northern
California. She packed up her drafting table, easel, plus
Misty the cat and headed back to the land of her childhood.
Anita’s subjects of choice to paint began to reflect her love
of the outdoors. Over the years she has shown
extensively in California. Her association with Pacific
Western Traders in 1972 was a natural. Soon after that
she began to manage our Native American Art Gallery and
exhibit her work in for several years. Her work, which
includes wildlife and mosaics, are currently on display at
Pacific Western Traders.
She continued to complete many commissions which include
three panels for the Yosemite Museum, a large painting for
the Folsom History Museum, mosaic panels for Aerojet
General and two life size Maidu dance figures for the Maidu
Interpretive Museum in Roseville. Her book cover
illustration for Naida West’s book “Eye of the Bear” won a
best illustrated book cover award for year 2000.
literature were engrained through four generations of her
family. Her first job after graduating high school was as
the window designer for the posh department store in the
Sacramento Bon Marche. Though just seventeen, she won
Best Window Design and went on to won two more in the
next years. Her artwork in the window displays always
drew an audience.
Anita left Sacramento for a cross country trip that ended up
in New York City where she decided to live for the next ten
years. She wanted to immerse herself in the arts.
After seeing the vibrant mosaics in the neighborhood
churches, she was drawn to the glowing colors which were
illuminated only by candlelight and windows. The young
artist began experimenting with glass and clay techniques.
She produced several large pieces and presented her work
to a small east side gallery. The gallery included her is a
group show, which included a young Andy Warhol.
The show sold one of her pieces and within a year the
mosaics were selling well, along with her charcoal drawings
and oil paintings. Her commissions kept her in art supplies
and cat food.
Life in New York was fun and challenging, but after ten
years the West was beginning to pull her back. Anita
missed the land, rivers, and mountains of Northern
California. She packed up her drafting table, easel, plus
Misty the cat and headed back to the land of her childhood.
Anita’s subjects of choice to paint began to reflect her love
of the outdoors. Over the years she has shown
extensively in California. Her association with Pacific
Western Traders in 1972 was a natural. Soon after that
she began to manage our Native American Art Gallery and
exhibit her work in for several years. Her work, which
includes wildlife and mosaics, are currently on display at
Pacific Western Traders.
She continued to complete many commissions which include
three panels for the Yosemite Museum, a large painting for
the Folsom History Museum, mosaic panels for Aerojet
General and two life size Maidu dance figures for the Maidu
Interpretive Museum in Roseville. Her book cover
illustration for Naida West’s book “Eye of the Bear” won a
best illustrated book cover award for year 2000.
