Find Elizabeth's Work at These Galleries
Smith Klein Gallery — Boulder, Colorado - map
Trudy Labell Fine Art — Naples, Florida - map
Powers Gallery — Acton, Massachusetts - map
Bev's Fine Art — Raleigh, North Carolina - map
Artist Statement
I have been a professional artist for more than thirty years. I work primarily now in oils and have been most focused on images inspired by nature. My work of the past twenty five years has ranged from close, detailed impressions of individual plants, fruits, animals or other natural elements to broad views of wetlands, water gardens and distant landscapes. Throughout my travels, I have found the inspirations for my work in Wyoming skies, California back yards, Maryland marshes, rural scenes of Georgia, hills and orchards of New England, New Mexico landscapes, Japanese gardens and Koi ponds. The car window has given me a wealth of subjects as have generous people and the occasional trespass.
There is a certain intuitive flow that is important to me, either as a personal interpretation of natural balance or as a way to imply motion in the case of birds or fish. This, in company with a vivid rendering of color, which I sometimes alter from precise reality to suit my designs, are the cornerstones of my work. My work appears realistic but is not, in fact, an actual copy of a natural scene.
The subjects of my work are taken from field observation, although I do not exactly reproduce any particular view. I prefer to photograph, sketch and watch subjects through the hours of a day, eventually arriving at what I feel is an essence, perhaps adding or subtracting from what I see. I often explore new sites both nearby my home and throughout the country, these visits yield complexities beyond static source work, they force my imagination to evolve. A first visit to a place incorporates things like time of day, light, weather and personal expectations which all become part of the information to make a unique piece of art. A cloud from Wyoming may later find itself over a Massachusetts marsh or some California plants.
I now see my career as a series of new expansions followed by the refinement of long periods of physical application. Influences upon my work have included early experience in sculpture, valuable advice from a community of more experienced artists and an understanding that this profession is a journey involving hard work as well as inspiration. I think that a particular strength of the work is a strong sense that it goes beyond two dimensions in perspective complemented by bold use of color.
Elizabeth is also a member of: International Guild of Realism and Oil Painters of America.