ABOUT THE ARTIST
Biography
Elizabeth was born and spent her formative years in the Chicago area. Since then, she has lived and worked in different parts of the western United States, including Colorado and the Bay Area. She currently maintains a studio in Seattle, WA. She has a BA from the University of Illinois in French Language and Linguistics and studied fine and graphic arts at Colorado State University. Elizabeth has worked in many media including oils, pastels, charcoal, collage, assemblage, and embroidery. Her current focus is on painting.
STATEMENT
I use my own bank of mental images to piece together that has significance to me. Motifs I constantly work with are florals, pattern, vintage graphic imagery, costume, birds, rabbits, and fruit.
In the studio, pieces sometimes begin with a plan or a desire to explore certain imagery, but often mark-making starts the work’s direction. Process itself determines the next step. I often add dimensional imagery to flat pattern because I like the juxtaposition that occurs between them.
My studio process is subtractive as well as additive. I often sand imagery down or partially cover it to leave a visual history. I want my work to show evidence of being handmade – a person made decisions, made mistakes, made corrections, added and subtracted up until the moment of completion. The finished work retains evidence of its evolution. In this era of the slick finish, flickering screen, and transitory image, this is meaningful to me.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTIST
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The colors on my palette that I use most often are cadmium yellow and cadmium red. I know their capabilities and they don’t disappoint.
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My most needed art supply is a good small brush - but it’s elusive
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I always give my paintings titles. I don’t know if any are particularly weird, but some of my favorites are “Happiness Succumbs to Scrutiny”, “Season of the Monkey”, and “A Sudden Loss of Cabin Pressure”.
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Although I hesitate to pick a painting that is so overexposed, “Nighthawks” by Hopper would be it. That’s the painting that mesmerized me as a young person seeing it in person and put me on my path. If I got another pick, “Self Portrait” by Alice Neel or “The Line” by Philip Guston. So many others would be in the running, too.
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Magical realism.
MORE FROM THE ARTIST
IN SITU
