Artist's Statement
When I was a child, each time I entered a spacious garden or a large room with patches of dappled light, all I wanted to do was run around, make noise, jump, stomp and spin. This urge to physically express feelings of spatial awareness informed my years as a dancer. For me, agency in the world has always come through my body and senses. This means that perception is a key influence in my work. The human body, like the earth, records and stores experiences in sometimes unexpected ways. I like to observe how the physical body, and the spaces it inhabits, "keep score" of life and events, even if we are unconscious of such memory.
The global pandemic was a time of loss, but it also tested my resilience and rekindled my creative energy. Residual feelings of loss and empathy have found their way into many of my works as I explore line, tone and textural complexity. During isolation plants and flowers educated and distracted me while human subjects were less available. Now as I venture out into the world again I'm finding a renewed interest in movement and the human body.
The global pandemic was a time of loss, but it also tested my resilience and rekindled my creative energy. Residual feelings of loss and empathy have found their way into many of my works as I explore line, tone and textural complexity. During isolation plants and flowers educated and distracted me while human subjects were less available. Now as I venture out into the world again I'm finding a renewed interest in movement and the human body.
About the Artist
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Elizabeth was born in Melbourne Australia. She now lives in Sydney where is she working towards a Bachelor of Fine Art at the National Art School. Elizabeth studied in New York City from 2017 to 2021 where she completed her study hours for a Certificate in Botanical Art (New York Botanical Gardens). She also completed several years attendance in oil painting and printmaking classes at the Art Students League of New York. Elizabeth's training as a botanical artist refined her observation skills, which is evident in her drawings and paintings of plants and their growth habits.
Formerly a member of The Australian Ballet, Elizabeth depicts complexity of line, grace and movement in her images of people, objects and plants. She finds identity and authenticity in the positioning of hands and feet in her self-portraits and figure studies. Elizabeth's social sciences degree, from the University of Sydney (BSW Hons First Class), provides an ethical basis from which she interacts with the people she encounters as an artist. Native plants inspire her to look at animal habitats and soil conservation. Marshes and wetlands are particular favourites. Linked to this interest is Elizabeth's goal to collaborate with others to increase ecological awareness. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) which is an organisation that runs programs and exhibitions aimed at counteracting our tendency to ignore the plant life around us. Elizabeth has experience as a group facilitator and has worked extensively with both children and adults in fields related to dance and well-being. |
Exhibitions 2023 March - Group exhibition, International Womens Day, Tap Gallery, Sydney 2023 March - Group virtual exhibition, Art Students League of New York 2023 January - Group exhibition supporting AIDS research, Ortuzar Projects, New York 2021 February - Group virtual exhibition, Art Students League of New York 2020 October - Small works virtual exhibition American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) 2020 March - Juried group exhibition, Under the Pandemic Moon, Phyllis Harriman Mason Gallery New York City, Reviewed by Fine Art Connoisseur April 2020 2020 January - Fundraising exhibition of small works Bortolami Gallery New York City 2019 April - Juried group exhibition Phyllis Harriman Mason Gallery New York City 2018 April - Group exhibition Phyllis Harriman Mason Gallery New York City |