BIOGRAPHY

Gail Holliday began her career as an artist-in-residence printmaker for the Rouse Co., under the direction of James W. Rouse, visionary and founder of Columbia, a planned community in Maryland. Her graphic interpretations of Columbia's villages and neighborhoods are brightly colored screen printed posters that reflected her love of folk art, children's art and spontaneous creativity.

Many of the posters are displayed at the Columbia Archives, an organization that has preserved many materials and collections of the history of Columbia. Holliday's posters can be also found in a book "Oh, you must live in Columbia: The origins of place names in Columbia, Maryland ".

In the early 80's, Holliday established April Day Studio, Inc., a graphics and sign company that through the years has produced many interesting projects that have included way finding signs for the Java History Trail at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. These were a series of illustrated panels of the history of the region on a wooded walking trail.

Through the years her company has created many different signs and graphic designs. She designed and illustrated many of the holiday seasonal cards for the Enterprise Foundation in Columbia.

As an artist she participated in the "Fish Out of Water" project in Baltimore City in the summer of 2001.

Recently a few of Holliday's portrait paintings of individuals are in private collections. Two works are in the home of Susan Boyle, a popular singer known world-wide.

Ms. Holliday has retired in Yuma, Arizona. She continues drawing, painting and showing her work locally. She is available for pet portrait work in colored pencil and acrylic painting.