Gaylene Fortner grew up as an only child on a ranch in southeastern Montana raising 4-H animals, surrounded by wildlife and scenic beauty. Gaylene loved to read horse books in her spare time, and later trained her 4-H horse. She attended a country school where her teacher brought ink pens and paper for her to draw, and she naturally drew what she loved — horses and animals. After graduating from high school, the local county library invited Gaylene to display her artwork and as a result sold her first painting.

After attending the National College of Business and graduating with a business degree, she married and started a family. Gaylene was still drawn to painting so she refined her artistic skills by reading books, experimenting, and taking occasional workshops in oils and watercolor. Her most influential training came from an oil painting workshop she took from Tom Browning in Eugene, Oregon; and, the study of color and portraits she did with Jan Kunz, a transparent watercolor artist in Portland. Constantly a student, Gaylene studies the work of other artists and enjoys doing joint studies as well.

Gaylene is also an avid photographer, teaching her hobby in 4H and to others. Her photography often inspires paintings, either while she’s shooting a subject, or looking through photos later. Her photography often allows her to experiment and conceptualize a composition before beginning a painting.