Meet Abigail Garcia | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abigail Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abigail, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think that risk taking is necessary in life. We take risks just getting into a car and driving to work. Risks work on strengthening our faith. If we play it safe all the time, we’ll never see what else we are capable of. I am actually considering taking a big risk. As a Christian, I believe sometimes God wants to show us how much we can really depend on Him, and I’ve just been feeling that pull to step out of the boat and rely on Him fully.
As someone who has taken a few risks in life, I can say they have definitely been worth it.
I took a risk when I first decided the degree I wanted to pursue. I’m an artist, both in the visual and vocal arts, and I am not by any means good at math, but curiosity got the best of me. Nature has always fascinated me, and I wanted to know the ins and outs of weather, so despite my struggle, I chose to pursue a career in meteorology and work for the National Weather Service. Talk about a risk! Finishing a degree in meteorology is very difficult, very calculus and physics-based, and working for the National Weather Service is even harder. I was still determined, which led me to another risk,
I ended up earning my Bachelors of Science in Meteorology and working for the National Weather Service in Midland, TX. I never imagined it, but I also met my husband during my time in Texas.
Before that risk paid off though, I took another risk to move to Colorado for a summer and work on a dude ranch. That paid off big time! I ended up leaving home, living on a ranch, caring for guests, meeting new people from all around the world, riding horses, and having the time of my life.
I do have to confess though, I have not taken many risks in my business, but I hope to look back on my life and know I did what I could to make the business thrive.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Stormy Gale Photography was born out of love for the earth and the natural, vibrant colors it produces. I have always been drawn to colors and been fascinated by how they naturally occur. Whether it was the colors in a flower, the green in a severe thunderstorm, the magnificent turquoise of the ocean, or the colors of the sunset, I couldn’t get enough. My favorite type of artwork has always been where the artist brings out the natural beauty of the landscape or animal.
My work also helps tell a story or teach a lesson. For example, a fan favorite is called “A Different Look.” It features the iconic Maroon Bells of Colorado, but, like its name, the image is not the typical Maroon Bells that most people buy or capture. You’re looking at the Bells from a different angle. In the image, you still get the majesty of the peaks and get an understanding of how vast they are, but you’re zoomed in on the stunning color of the local flora. The image teaches that there can be incredible beauty in a different angle or different perspective. The very popular image of the still water and the reflection of the peaks is unmistakably one of the most photographed and beautiful ones, but there’s beauty and wonder in taking a different look.
Something that I am most excited about is being able to use the talents I was given and care for others. In addition to providing for me and my family, I donate to different nonprofits. I want my customers to get beautiful, colorful, meaningful work for their homes and spaces, but I want them to know that their purchase reaches people they maybe never would have encountered. One thing I hope to do some day is travel to Africa to capture images of one of my favorite animals, the giraffe, and then donate portions of the profits back to giraffe conservation. It’d be so sad to one day tell my kids that there was this incredible animal that had spots like a leopard, a long neck like a dinosaur, and emotional tendencies of an elephant, and that you can’t see them anymore. They don’t exist anymore. I want my work to be beneficial and not just a colorful piece of art.
One other thing I hope for my customers, is that when they view their piece of artwork, it can remind them to take a deep breath, notice the colors or how the colors and textures change, notice their heartrate slow, and help teach them to notice the little things. I want them to get lost in the artwork and in a world of color and wonder.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have to be honest, I am a bit more of a country girl, but I have done some fun things in Denver. I think we would find a local art class, whether it be painting, sculpting, glass blowing, pottery, etc. We’d have to visit the zoo, of course! I love seeing the different animals and learning about them. Along the lines of seeing animals, we’d also have to go to the aquarium and spend some time with the ocean animals. I could stay at the stingray petting area and the stingray tank forever. Just watching how they glide through the water and watching their playful antics brings me so much joy. After that, I think I would look for some sort of pop-up experience. I like to plan, but I love being spontaneous. One of the days we would have to go immerse ourselves in the butterfly house of the Denver Botanical Gardens and be surrounded by stunning, colorful flora. If we wanted a break and to be outside, maybe play some spikeball or volleyball, I think we would head to Wash Park. If we wanted more of a thrill, I would probably head to the local indoor skydiving place or Elitch Gardens. I’m not much of a foodie so I probably would just look up good reviews and take a chance.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out three people/organizations that have really helped me get as far as I have. The world of being a thriving, Christian artist was introduced to me when I was taking some time off due to some medical issues back in 2020. I was scrolling on Facebook, and I found a page called the Thriving Christian Artist. I found Matt Tommey and a wonderful community of artists just like me who want to create art and help make the world a better place. I couldn’t believe there were other people making money with their art, supporting their families, and caring for others.
Another person is my mentor, Jason Matias. While I learned about the faith side of art, Jason is teaching me about the business side of running an art business. I am learning so much about how to get my artwork in front of the right people, and I’m surrounded by another incredible community of artists who just want to create their art and help make the world a better place.
The third person I want to shout out is my meteorology mentor, John H. Not only did he spend hours teaching me and coaching me how to get hired by the National Weather Service, he is the customer of my very first larger piece of artwork. He has been such a help and encouragement throughout many years of my life and continues to.
I am so grateful!

Website: https://www.stormygalephotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stormygale_fineart/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stormygalephotography/

Other: stormygalephotography@gmail.com

Image Credits
Wallpicture.app, Canva