Conversations with Gaylen Solomon Corbett

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gaylen Solomon Corbett.

Hi Gaylen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
At the early age of 13, I was hired as an artist for Bardot Collection, a small clothing boutique that featured hand-painted designs. Founded by James and Isabelle Bardot in the mid-1980s, Bardot was a cottage industry that manufactured their own line of clothing. Within a few short years, I was managing their art department and a team of artists who painted designs on clothing sold at high-end stores throughout Southern California, plus one franchise location in Sarasota, Florida. I worked for Bardot from 1987 until 1994, and it was such a fun job that I’m currently writing a book about it. It was there that I learned that the art department is always the coolest place to be. [Photo uploaded]

Starting in the mid-1990s, I began learning computer-aided graphic design. A turning point came when I landed a job with CS Marketing, a boutique firm in Laguna Beach that specialized in marketing design for high-end real estate sales. The valuable experience I gained while working under Carolyn Skenderian (“CS”) eventually led to the establishment of my own business, Gaylen Corbett Design, in the year 2000. I chose to specialize in building websites for artists and small business owners. Having my own business was an amazing experience. The best part of it all was meeting so many artists and working with creative business owners throughout Southern California.

In 2011, Journey School recruited me to develop a visual arts program for their middle school students. I taught at Journey from 2011 to 2018, building a robust art curriculum for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Today, I wear many hats at Journey School, including providing art lessons and practice sessions for the school’s teachers as part of their Waldorf Teacher Training Program.

Today, I consider myself an established fine artist, graphic designer, sign painter, teacher, and author.  My work is often experimental in nature, using a variety of media including ink, watercolor, oil, and collage. Instead of limiting myself to a particular subject or media each year, I embarked on a new area of study. My favorite subjects range from land and seascapes to cityscapes and interiors. Travel and painting outdoors are as important to me as time spent in the studio.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say that I’ve always been fortunate to find employment situations that allow me to be creative and wear many different hats. The uncertainty of being self-employed was challenging in terms of income fluctuating up and down. However, having my own design business was a fantastic experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve been a visual artist since the time I could hold a paintbrush. Each year, I embark on a new area of study, often changing subjects and mediums. My art shows are typically low-key. They are as much about bringing people together as they are about showing my most recent works. The show that I’m most proud of was called “10 Artists, 1 Family” (photo attached) in which I curated works by ten members of my family (myself included). We showcased work from three generations and had a great turnout by the community. In recent years, I have found writing to be a new passion. In 2019, I published a book about my father’s life and art career titled “David Solomon: 50 Years an Artist.” Completing and publishing this book is the accomplishment of which I am most proud, as I hope that it will preserve his legacy as an artist. He’s a well-known watercolorist who was born and raised in the barrios of East L.A. He moved to Laguna Beach in the late 1960s, so I grew up in his Laguna Beach art studio, surrounded by amazing creative painters, sculptors, and photographers.

Even as a child, I paid close attention to my father’s journey as an artist. It seemed a story worth telling, so I started writing in 2014. Around this same time, he developed a form of dementia that was slowly robbing him of the ability to speak. (This is the same affliction that is affecting actor Bruce Willis.) This created a sense of urgency to gather as much information as he could share with me so that his story wouldn’t be lost to his disability. It took about five years of research and interviews to complete the project.

My book not only tells the story of my father’s career but also the lesser-known history of Southern California plein-air painting in the 1970s and 1980s. He was part of a small band of painters who chose to paint outdoors and follow in the footsteps of early California painters like Guy Rose and William Wendt. These artists included Michael Logan, Patrick Tobin, Michael Hallinan, and Bill Ogden, all of whom who have passed away in recent years. They carved the path that has led to the most recent plein air renaissance that started in the mid-1990s and is still going strong today. It’s important to me that their contribution to the local art scene is also documented for historical purposes.

What sets me apart from other artists is that I refrain from pigeonholing myself into one medium or genre. I am willing to attempt most any type of creative project. As a result, I sometimes bite off more than I can chew and end up questioning my own crooked path, but for some odd reason, I’m not afraid to fail. I just keep trying different things and seeing what happens. Whenever I find a new creative muse, I throw myself into it and don’t look back. I’m happiest when I’m creating, whether it be a painting, a craft or a creative writing project.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
My book can be purchased at Laguna Beach Books or online at www.gaylencorbett.com.

Pricing:

• The book retails for $40.00

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gaylencorbett.com
• Instagram: @gaylencorbett

Image Credits
Pradhan Studios