Today we’d like to introduce you to Aditi Gadgil.
Hi Aditi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in India in a family where creativity just ran in the blood, my great-grandfather and grandfather were both trained artists, and honestly, everyone in my family is creative in their own way. As a kid, I was always doodling, trying out every form of art I could get my hands on. Art was rooted in me from the very beginning.
But funny enough, I never actually considered art as a career. I went the practical route, studied engineering, and started working in IT. Then I got married, and over the next 19 years, life took me from England to Scotland and eventually to Michigan. Through all that moving and change, art was the one thing that kept me grounded. It kept me connected to nature and to myself, even when everything else around me was shifting.
Along the way, I met some wonderful people in the UK and the US who saw something in my art before I fully did. They encouraged me, supported me, and believed in it. In 2017, I started painting pet portraits for friends back in Scotland, and that’s how my art journey began for real. I started experimenting, picking up new techniques, and somewhere in there I discovered my real passion: wildlife art. I’ve always been fascinated by animals, their behavior, their expressions, the little things most people don’t notice.
When I moved to Michigan in 2018, the wildlife here, the birds, the landscapes, the quiet beauty of nature pulled me even further in. It’s what finally made me think, maybe this could be more than a hobby.
In 2023, I took the leap and started my own art business. Since then, I’ve shown my work at local art fairs and shows like the Ann Arbor Art Fair, a solo show at the Novi Civic Center, and the Northville Art House show, among others.
I’m a self-taught artist, and I’m still learning, still growing, one brushstroke, one animal, at a time.”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, definitely not a smooth road. Starting a new career in your forties, in a different country, is never easy, and being a self-taught artist adds its own challenges. You have to experiment, make mistakes, and find your own style and voice, all while competing with trained and experienced artists. That part has been genuinely difficult for me at times.
But the love I receive from people who connect with my work, and the constant encouragement from my family keep me going.
Networking was probably my biggest struggle. Coming from a non-art background, and from a different ethnic group, it wasn’t easy to find my footing in the local art community. Social media ended up being a huge help. It’s how I found local art groups and slowly started connecting with the right people.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I primarily work in acrylics and pastels, and I specialize in wildlife portraiture. My focus is on creating intimate, hyper-realistic wildlife portraits that invite viewers to connect with the natural world on a personal level. My process combines careful study, layered brushwork, and storytelling through expression and atmosphere. Whether it’s the piercing gaze of a tiger or the tender playfulness of a young elephant, my goal is to capture more than just a likeness of an animal, but I want to reveal the soul behind the eyes.
One of the projects I’m most proud of is a recent series called ‘Echoes of the Wild’ four paintings portraying endangered baby animals alongside their stuffed toy counterparts, symbols of innocence, vulnerability, and vanishing wildness. Each piece places the living and the lifeless together against a soft, diffused, almost dreamlike background, stripping away distractions so the viewer’s focus stays on that fragile relationship. Two of the paintings from that series have already found their forever homes, and I donated 10% of the proceeds to a wildlife conservation project. Giving back to conservation through my art has always been something I wanted to do, and this series felt like the right way to start.
What sets me apart, I think, is that combination: the hyper-realism paired with a deeper narrative and purpose behind each piece. It’s not just about painting an animal well; it’s about making people feel something and hopefully care a little more.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I do custom commission work. You can find my work and reach out through my website and social media, where I share my latest paintings, works in progress, and updates on shows and series like ‘Echoes of the Wild.’
If you’d like to support my work, following along, sharing my art with others, or reaching out about a commission all mean a lot to me.
Website: https://www.aditigadgilart.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aditigadgilart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063199810948
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aditigadgilart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aditigadgilart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063199810948
