Always inspired by nature, Galen has been an artist in her core since she could pick up a pencil or crayon and make a drawing. This has stuck with her throughout her life and has been her go-to for peaceful moments. In 2005, Galen enrolled in the Continuing Ed program at RISD. Still working full time, she graduated in 2010 with a Painting and Drawing Certificate. She often says this was her first, best step forward in committing to her future as knowledgeable, full time artist. She has never looked back!

Paper Montage (a term used by RISD, I used to call it collage. Same technique, updated terminology) is my medium today. It comes to me in waves of color, light and shape.  When my minds’ eye sees it, I want to get it going immediately! I tear & cut the handmade papers, rice paper and imported fine papers to layer the background with color. If I don’t have the exact color paper I want, I make it by gluing one color of paper over the other, creating the perfect hue with a depth of transparency I’ve not found with other mediums. I then use high quality, opaque and textural magazine pieces, each cut individually, to layer on top of the background. Each piece takes 50-60 hours of work, sometimes extending into months if it is a larger piece, such as my land & seascapes. I like working the ‘scapes in a larger format to achieve the perspectives needed to make the work feel as if one is standing right there. Many people think I use paint to enhance my work, but it is only glue and paper, or Paper Montage: ‘Painting with Paper’.