About me
Hello from Bristol, UK, where I try to make sense of things by painting and drawing.
The building blocks of landscape, portrait, figure, and still life are my constant teachers. The world at large, artistic community, and art canon inspire me to make larger narrative work addressing contemporary issues.
Through private commissions, academia, public speaking and mindful engagement with disability charities, I foster a vibrant network beyond the traditional art scene.
1969 - 1990:
Born in Oxford, I went to a convent primary school, won a music scholarship to Bedales for secondary school, Godalming 6th form college for A levels, then read Maths at Bristol University.
1990 - 2006:
A career in IT consultancy enabled me to observe, travel, study, and develop creatively on my own terms. Working at director level for CGI my roles included software architecture design, prototyping, development, implementation, and project management.
2006-present:
As a parent I have first hand involvement with the interconnected technology and social issues facing my 3 “Gen Z” children.
As a family we lived in the Middle East for 3 years.
This informs my art practice across the board - in particular, issues around body image, appearance, gender, and practically (video/livestreaming/social media).
Comfortable talking in public and working in front of an audience, I gave a TEDx talk ‘Body Image Through The Eyes Of An Artist’, and was a semi-finalist on the popular TV show Sky Arts “Portrait Artist Of The Year”.
I balance self-directed study with workshops from leading contemporary artists (see Education section). My work is available direct from this website, group and solo exhibitions, and conferences. In addition to personal projects I enjoy working with clients on interesting commissions, and event portrait sketching.
I document and share my practice in detail - as written accounts, videos, blogs, and a newsletter.
Bio - Gail Reid (she/her)
Artist Statement
I am interested in challenging the distortions of social conditioning:
Objectification, and its insidious consequences (eg diet culture, disordered relationships, cosmetic procedures) fuel our dissatisfaction with the perfectly imperfect human form. I want to normalise diversity, and consider art as having a useful role in this.
Extended to other subject matter, I relish the look of brown silty water, food waste, invertebrates, etc - objectively good and beautiful things that we are conditioned to reject, and that we need to embrace for the sake of our planet.
Practically, I strive for a balance between critical observation of surface, and evidence of underlying structure. Using traditional methods and unremarkable materials, my work retains expressive traces of process. I practice fundamentals, sometimes on commission. These component elements help when building narrative personal work, which is the core of my output.
Documentation (videos, blog and newsletter) is part of my creative process. It regulates my productivity, invites welcome engagement, enables others, and gives me control of the record regarding my intentions. My YouTube channel has a large collection of demos and other material, including a full playlist of videos for my most significant pieces. See this page for latest work and plans.
Exhibitions
2025
Open Studio
Society of Women Artists annual open exhibition (Mall Galleries)
2024
Worshipful Company of World Traders IWD24 at Goodenough College, London - exhibitor and panellist
Between the lines Opening exhibition of represented artists at Art Gallery & Studio by Aga Kubish
Artist & collector event - Woodend Gallery, Scarborough
Appearance Matters 10th annual conference - commissioned portrait of conference speaker, and exhibition artist
Huw Richards Evans Gallery (group show)
A Personal Reflection On The Male Gaze - talk, slideshow, and related life drawing session by Gail Reid & Clare Creed
Solo show at Art Gallery & Studio by Aga Kubish
Society of Wildlife Artists “The Natural Eye” 2024 annual open exhibition
“Port & talk” entitled ‘Navigating Agency, Exposure, and Influence’ for new intake of arts & humanities postgraduate students at Goodenough College
Centre for Appearance Research Podcast
2023
TEDx Bristol speaker on Body Image through the eyes of an artist
Body Dysmorphia Disorder Foundation 10th Anniversary Conference (figure drawings & paintings)
Society of WildLife Artists annual open exhibition (3 pieces)
Semi-finalist on Sky Arts Portrait Artist Of The Year - (painting Jay Rayner and Emma Bunton ‘Baby Spice’)
Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize ‘distinguished entries’ online exhibition
Jackson’s Painting Prize longlist
2022
Royal Portrait Society annual open exhibition
Group Winter Group show “Diversity” at Heart Of The Tribe gallery
2021
Solo supply, rotation, and sales of art in country pub and cafe The George Inn (Abbot’s Leigh) 2021-present
Duo show “Get Real” at Heart Of The Tribe gallery
2020
Group Inaugural exhibition at Heart Of The Tribe gallery
Solo supply, rotation, and sales of art in fine dining Greens Restaurant 2018-2020
2019
Group at Academie de la Grande Chaumiere (Paris)
2017
Solo “Raw Observations” - at Gallery 76, Dubai International Art Center Click here to download catalogue
2016 and earlier
Group Made In Tashkeel, Dubai Click here for press article
Solo stand at Dubai Jazzfest
Regular stand holder at ARTE (Artisans of the Emirates) Dubai 2015, 2016
Bristol Southmead Hospital (Brunel Building atrium inaugural exhibition) 2014
West Bristol Art Trail 2011, 2012
Spike Print Studio annual members’ exhibition 2012
Education
Toby Wiggins RP - “Portraiture - personal intent and expression” (2024)
Sophie Howard - “Observation to abstraction. Sculpting the figure” (2023)
Jenny Aitken ARSMA - online painting course (2023)
Alan McGowan - “Human anatomy for the artist” (2021), and “Painting from the figure” (2018)
Sarah Sedwick - “Three step still life” (2021)
Paris Academie de la Grande Chaumiere (2019) - intensive life drawing (Laurent Cattaneo et al)
Bristol Lara Atelier 2018 - sight-size drawing from the figure
Belfast Academy of Realist Art 2018 - old master oil painting method (Michael John Angel of Angel Academy of Florence)
UWE 1997-1998 Postgraduate diploma in Printmaking
Bristol University 1989 - BSc Maths
I have enjoyed association with several collectives, particularly Spike Printmakers (UK), Tashkeel (Dubai) and the international Urban Sketchers organisation.
A typical day at the office