Gabrielle McNeese was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1963 and spent her earliest years on O’ahu, where her father was stationed in the Navy. By the age of three, her family had relocated, and though she had no conscious memory of the island, growing up on the south side of Chicago she felt an early fascination with drawing vibrant tropical birds, fish, animals, and lush scenery. Encouraged by supportive parents, her natural artistic talent flourished through drawing and painting classes in school and art programs. She later attended the American Academy of Art, a commercial art school in downtown Chicago, where she developed foundational skills in drawing, perspective, and technique—skills that continue to influence her work today.

For over 40 years, watercolor painting was her primary medium, with her art represented in galleries across Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Alongside her painting career, she supplemented her income through interior house painting and even restored intricate ceiling motifs in a historic Durango, Colorado home. Collaborating with a finish carpenter introduced her to the art of woodworking, sparking a new passion.

In 2001, she enrolled in the Carpentry Trades Building Program at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico, where she helped construct a house from the ground up. There she mastered the use of table saws, miter saws, and a wide range of tools. Her husband later gifted her a scroll saw, a turning point that led her to create custom hardwood frames for her watercolors and, eventually, original works of wood art. Using exotic hardwoods from around the world, she sold more than 30 pieces in just a few years, completing numerous commissions along the way.

To her, hardwoods are artworks in themselves—each species with its unique weight, density, color, texture, and grain, echoing patterns found in nature: zebra stripes, big-cat spots, tortoise shells, bird feathers, and leaves. Among her favorites are Madagascar Ebony, American Holly, Purple Heart, Pink Ivory, African Padauk, Goncalo Alves, and Argentine Orange Osage.

Her discipline is best described as Wood Intarsia. To enhance depth and texture, she incorporates stained glass, metal solder, and mirrors into her designs. Her latest passion is epoxy resin, inspired by a Sweet Gum hardwood counter she built in her Port Orange, Florida workshop, featuring an “epoxy river” embedded with seashells. The success of this project has led her to integrate colored epoxy resin into her pieces, creating a striking harmony with the natural beauty of hardwoods. For Gabrielle, art is a continuous journey of passion, growth, experimentation, and striving to make each new piece even better than the last.

CV