Gail Debel Allouf, Class of '69 majored in Fashion Illustration and attended Parsons School of Design where she majored in Illustration. She is an artist~designer, having created baby apparel gift collections for Martha Stewart Baby, Sesame Street and Target Stores, as well as 'Heirlooms' layette collection for J. C. Penney and Bright Future. She is currently Senior Artist Designer for Bob Bebe, managing cfreative product development and art. Her work has taken her to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Thailand, Japan, Barcelona and Italy.

According to Gail:
____"My greatest experience was traveling in 2007 and 2008 to Indonesia, where I got my company to donate a suitcase full of babyclothes, while others others brought school supplies.We sailed to islands west of Bali and were welcomed warmly, with dance performances and local food. On Bali,the creativity just blew me away. Carvings in wood & stone, painting & weaving, are amazing parts of a culture, that is so peace loving. In contrast, the small group of muslim extremists perform acts of terror that paralyze the locals. I learned to appreciate deeply and respect these warm people, whose smiles I captured in the 1700 photos I took."
____Gail's latest pursuit is working on a children's book, while she looks forward to branching out from her home studio; www.illustrivity.com (currently under construction).
____Her poetry at artalumni was inspired by the rhythms of Hip-Hop and Rap music, reflecting on time and loss.

KISSING IN CARS

kissing in cars....
connecting stars
pulse of the heat
the city beats
through my veins
its insane
on streets so slick
the lonely and sick
sit and wait...
but I'm late...
got to create
get it done by the date
I fight sleep
focus deep
on the lines I've drawn
'till the dawn
sheds light
right into my eyes
realize
to create is a great
ability
pictures flash
in my mind
art is a kind
of life on a page
It's been my stage
to explore
more
and my mom
who bore me
lived to adore me
believed in my art
with her fragile heart
met her fate
on the very date
to graduate
she passed on to the place
we all have to face
from beyond the sky
her watchful eye
stayed beside me at night
when my babies would cry
helped me remember
her lullabies
life goes on
times have gone
through changes
re-arranges
left me amazed
how time has gone
raising sons
was priority
and would always be
I've lived to see
how strong they've grown
on their own
always there for me
love and loss
loss and love
No one's ever above
joy and pain
as the flame in the candle burns'
connecting stars
kissing in cars...
times have gone
through changes
rearranges
left me amazed
how much time
has gone ....