About Gail

My name is Gail Cali and I am an artist in New Mexico. My art style is bright and colorful, because I heavily associate colors with moods and experiences. ​My focus is often on animals or emotions. I love creating pet portraits because it incorporates my passion for animals with my craft, and I never run out of beautiful subjects.

FAQ

Q. How long will my portrait last?
A. Acrylic paintings last approximately 70 years before degradation sets in. I don’t know how long crayon drawings last, but I still have some from second grade, so, a while?

Q. Do you seal your paintings?
A. Yes, and my crayon drawings. I used Mod Podge, because it isn’t fumy, and it does a good job.

Q. When will I get my portrait?
A. I usually send out my packages on Mondays. When I start your painting, I will generally send it out the following Monday. Once it’s sent out, I will let you know, and give you a tracking number.

Q. How long will it take you to create my portrait?
A. My pacing is about one painting a week. Crayon portraits are faster, and I can do them pretty much at the time of the request. If there are people ahead of you in the queue, of course, it will take longer. I will let you know where you are in the queue, and when I start on your portrait.

Q. What is the best way to contact you?
A. By messaging me through the contact page on this website, or my Facebook page, "Gail Cali Art".

Q. How do I pay for my portrait?
A. I do ask for upfront payment. When I am ready to start your painting, I will send you a Paypal invoice.

​Q. How will you mail my portrait?
A. Your portrait will arrive in a waterproof bubble envelope, with a cardboard slip for protection. I will send it by USPS or UPS ground mail by default. I don’t typically offer expedited shipping, but if you need a different type of shipping, we can work out costs via messaging. I’m pretty flexible.

Q. What happens if I can't get a good shot of my pet/can't get a shot of them together?
A. No problem! I am very used to working with multiple photos and creating composites. If you want that picture where your dog is making that one cute face, AND the cute ear thing, but you just can't get them both in one photo, I can make it happen. If you want your cat and dog sitting side by side, but you know they'd never sit like that long enough for you to take a picture, I can fix that for you. Such is the beauty of paintings! Just send me multiple photo references. We can make it happen!

Q. What if I just want this one favorite photo turned into a painting?
A. I can do that too! I leave out background clutter, or anything obfuscating the image of your pet. I will usually create very simple surroundings in a color (or color combination) that just works, but you can specify if something in the photo is important to the pet, like a favorite toy or comfort item. I also usually do a close-up to focus on your pet's upper body or face, unless you ask me to do otherwise. It won't be an exact reproduction, but will do everything I can to capture whatever it is about that photo that makes it special.

Q. What if I have a bunch of photos I like, but I don't know which one to use?
A. Send them to me! I'll pick my favorite one, or create a composite image from a couple.

Q. My portrait is a gift for someone. Are you going to post it on Facebook/Instagram where they might see it?
A. If you want me not to post it for a while, please tell me, but let me know when I CAN post it, because my posts help my business, and I enjoy sharing my work!

Q. Can I skip the queue?
A. Sorry, I can’t do that!

Q. Are you going to sell prints of my pet to the public?
A. Nope! I only sell prints of my original works on the prints page. However, I do use anything that I have painted in ads and on my website and social media pages. 

Q. What kinds of pets do you paint?
A. Any kinds of pets! I even painted someone’s tarantula once!

Q. Can I share your page?
A. I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO SHARE MY PAGE! (Ahem, excuse me... I get excited.)

Q. Isn’t MY pet the cutest and the bestest?
A. Yes!

Q. Bestest isn’t a word!
A. It is now!