gaye gambell-peterson was first just an artist.  Even as a kid she always layered two or more crayon colors, didn’t stay in the lines.  Over the years she was a doodler, a draw-er, a painter, a weaver, a sculptor.  gaye even has a degree in design from the University of Michigan tucked away somewhere.  Nowadays, juried exhibitions and galleried shows suit her better – no more those fab outdoor fairs of the 1970s.  Good gracious, all the blue ribbons from those days have faded to purple.

Since 2002 gaye has been a poet—she informally learned the craft through free workshops (St. Louis Poetry Center, Loosely Identified, Six on Saturday).  Now, repeatedly published and awarded, she remains grateful for this newer passion.

Nowadays, gaye loves to collaborate with herself—putting together poetry and art.  Of course, there is the continued pleasure in separate acceptances and publications of art works and poetry.  No denying that—but putting it all together: fun.

All along:  serendipitous complexity.  Keeping the relationship history simple, she says, “mother of three, grandmom of five, happily married to The Good Guy found in California”.  Geographically, gaye has been happily at home in western New York (Wellsville), Ann Arbor MI, Chicago area, Ames IA, San Francisco area, St. Louis area, San Diego CA, and back to St. Louis.  Variously employed as well: newspaper industry (columnist), educational system (art teacher, special ed assistant), weight loss industry (sales), and health care (personal assistant to patients with dementia).  She wears herself out just thinking about all that as she daydreams in her yellow-upholstered poet’s chair.

A life with such layering!  No wonder that collage is currently her favorite medium.  No wonder both her books pair the art of sticky bits with her poems.