Once upon a time, in the village of Brooklyn, a child was born to make and spread the word about art.  This birth came during World War II.

 

Gila Lane was this child.  At age six, her family moved to the hinterlands of Long Island, a small town called Great Neck.

 

A Brownie Camera was given to the child and she started taking photographs of her new home.  Soon she was taking portraits, scenery, and abstract photographs.  At this time Gila was also using several other media: finger paints, crayons, drawing, mud pies, and anything she could get her hands on.  And, let’s not forget the “Bluing Job” at age three.

 

With much enthusiastic support from her teachers, Gila took time at Great Neck North Senior High School, School of Visual Arts, The Art Students League, and CW Post College to hone her skills at photography, painting, and clothing design.

 

In 1970, Gila, her husband Paul Block (a TV Producer) and daughter Kiva moved to the sacred place called “The Land of Angels.”  There she became a sought after clothing decorator for Doc Severinsen, M-m-mel Tillis, and others, and a designer and maker of macramé clothing for Cher, and wall hangings for the homes of many celebrities.  In the mid-70s Gila Lane had a line of jewelry around the country.

 

Professional photographer, as well as painter, Gila Lane’s works offer spirited, intimate perspectives of the places and people she has met while visiting the Americas, Europe, and the South Pacific.  Before becoming a full time artist, Gila worked in television broadcasting as a photographer, costume designer, writer, director and producer. In the last three decades of the 20th century her main work was shooting publicity photos of celebrities.  Her work has appeared on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, The Sonny & Cher Show, HBO, Showtime and in such publications as Time Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine and others.

 

These days her favorite thing to do is be in her gallery (Lane Gallery) in Portland, OR selling her art. Gila’s works range from straight photography to hybrids, paintings, mixed media, collages, and dioramas.   Best of all Gila loves photographing her grandchildren in her studio.