Early Life, Family and Training

O. Gail Poole enters the world in 1935 in Marlow, Oklahoma. He is the son of Woodrow "Woodie" Poole, a self-taught painter of barn advertisements, and Hazel Patterson. The family structure shifts early when Woodie leaves in 1939. Hazel moves the family to the home of Poole's maternal grandfather in Bradley, Oklahoma. It is here that the first spark of artistic intent ignites. After winning a contest on a matchbook to "Draw Lucky," Hazel begins paying for correspondence courses to nurture his developing talent.

The drive to study art becomes a family mission. Hazel spends years selling eggs on weekends to fund Poole's college education. This financial sacrifice carries him through Bradley High School and into the University of Oklahoma. His time at the university is defined by dual paths of discipline and design. He joins the ROTC, eventually rising to the rank of Captain and serving as the Commanding Officer of Company H, 7th Regiment of the National Society of Pershing Rifles.

By 1957, the academic chapter concludes. Poole graduates from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in advertising art. This technical foundation in commercial design sets the stage for a career that would eventually pivot away from the structured world of advertising and toward the pursuit of fine art.

Technique and Artistic Style

Poole’s practice defies easy classification. He moves between the heavy textures of oil and encaustic and the delicate precision of pastel, watercolor, pen and ink, and charcoal. His draftsmanship remains a constant, anchoring a body of work that spans landscapes, still life, and sculpture. He does not settle into a single mode; instead, he shifts between the traditional and the experimental. One moment he is channeling the heavy, expressive brushwork of his hero, Van Gogh, and the next he is applying the formal rigor of the Dutch Masters to his portraiture.

This versatility allows for sudden, sharp pivots in subject and intent. In 1993, he produced "The First Immigrants (Mind of Man)," a surrealist work that uses expressive color and texture to explore a contemplative, psychological space. He moves from these structured, figurative studies into the realm of abstraction without losing his technical grip. His work is characterized by this refusal to be pinned down to a single movement or medium.

Exhibitions and Professional Career

The advertising industry provided the initial framework for Poole's professional life. He worked as an award-winning illustrator and advertising artist, eventually nurturing the influential Oklahoma studio Poole-Hobbes, Inc. His leadership within the industry was marked by his role as founder and chair of the Oklahoma Art Directors Guild. This period of commercial success eventually gave way to a full-time pursuit of fine art, a transition catalyzed by a 1974 invitational exhibition in Manz, Germany.

His professional affiliations reflected a deep engagement with various technical disciplines. He was a member of the Pastel Society of America and the Oklahoma Society of Impressionists. His influence extended into the organizational structure of the local art community as a founding member of the Professional Artists Association. This commitment to the craft was matched by a prolific output that spanned half a century, moving between the commercial world and the fine art galleries of Oklahoma.

Poole's presence in curated exhibitions continued long after his primary career shifts. His work was selected for the 2015 National Weather Center Biennale, an international juried exhibition. His reputation as a versatile practitioner allowed him to move between different artistic circles without being confined to a single school or subject matter.

Key Works and Museum Collections

The reach of Poole’s portfolio extends into several significant institutional holdings. His surrealist work, "First Immigrant/Mind of Man," occupies a place within the Oklahoma State Art Collection at the Oklahoma Capitol. This piece, a 1993 creation, uses expressive texture and color to depict a man contemplating his role in the lineage of forefathers. The Gilcrease Museum of Art and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art both hold works from his extensive body of work, ensuring his presence in major regional repositories.

Specific paintings have found permanent homes through various acquisitions and gifts. The University of Oklahoma holds "Morning Meeting," an oil on canvas. In 2015, the National Weather Center Biennale selected "Bradley Wheat Fields and Storm Clouds" for exhibition, highlighting the artist's ability to engage with themes of the human experience through environmental subjects. His presence in the Oklahoma State Art Collection further cements his status within the state's visual history.

• Self-portrait, about 2001

Later Years and Death

The final chapter of Poole's life arrived with suddenness. In 2013, he faced a diagnosis of bladder cancer. The illness moved with aggressive speed, claiming his life less than a month after the diagnosis. He died in Norman, Oklahoma, at the age of 77.

His passing left behind a vast and varied canon of work, spanning decades of experimentation. His daughter, Nicole Poole, took on the task of organizing the extensive collection his father left behind. She has worked to manage the hundreds of paintings, sketches, and prints, ensuring the physical remains of his creative output are preserved and shared through various exhibitions.