Gillian graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Illustration in 2020. Halfway through her senior year she lost her mother to her extended, and briefly intense, battle with cancer. Just months later the world was thrust into Covid19 lockdown, and she had to head back to her childhood home in Wheaton, IL, to finish out her senior year. During this time she managed to publish two children’s books with author Jen Grant, and use her degree for various illustrative and design projects. Trying to stay connected to her art but having lost her passion for illustration, she spent the following years teaching art to both adults and children, and working intermittently on commissioned projects. As time moved, Gillian found herself struggling to nurture an artistic practice of her own in the face of so much personal upheaval.

Seven years later, her current series seeks to heal the rift between that period of her life and now, and foster a kinder and more integrated place for art in her life. Pulling from personal photos taken just before and after the loss of her mom, she allows herself the time and space to sit with each memory by translating the details into paint. She grapples with the universal challenge of carrying profound grief as love throughout a lifetime, and uses her art to begin to integrate her past into her present.

Alongside her personal work, Gillian has re-sparked her love of art through the challenge of portrait painting. Her deep appreciation of connection is shown clearly in her compositions of both people and pets. Years of experience come through in her sensitivity to color, confident brushstrokes, and ability to capture the likeness of her subjects. The perfectionism she frequently attempts to work with (battle) lends itself well to interpreting a sense of life and intimacy within her paintings.

She loves taking on new challenges, and is open to a variety of commissions availability permitting. If you feel like your project could be a good match, feel free to reach out through the contact tab!