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On view now through Sunday, January 12, 2025
Gail Pidduck was born and raised on a citrus ranch in Santa Paula. After earning a B.A. in art from Brigham Young University in Utah, she returned to Santa Paula and started a family. With three young children, Pidduck made art when and where she could, in her kitchen or on her back porch. Her preference for oil painting stemmed from her ability to set the slow-drying medium aside in a house with busy kids.
As her children grew older, Pidduck was able to dedicate more time to painting and exhibiting her work in Ventura County and beyond. She built a studio and acclaim as a rural landscape painter. Gail’s work has been acquired by numerous private and public collections, including the City of Ventura, City of Santa Paula, City of Thousand Oaks, Museum of Ventura County, and Dixie State University.
In 2023, as Pidduck approached her 74th birthday, she found herself with a childlike desire to “just make art” without being limited to a single subject or theme. She wanted to paint, but also have time to explore other mediums like linocut printmaking and digital art.
Gail gave herself the goal of creating 74 new paintings (40 of which she selected for this exhibit) and let the dimensions of the paintings, 8 inches square, provide the unifying ingredient. Thus, “8² + 10.” With no other restraints or expectations, Pidduck painted for the pure pleasure of creating, which, for her, “is what art is all about.”
While we recommend seeing “8² + 10” in person, enjoy this abbreviated look at the exhibition in your inbox!
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