Portfolio
Artist Statement
Three Women
Mixed media carved wax painting, 48x20x72", ©2006
The Core
Mixed media carved wax painting, 16x12x15.5", ©2006
Elizabeth grew up the youngest of six in Southern California. Struggling with the rules of her Navy Commander father, a rigid Catholic school education and then the loss of her artist mother to cancer and alcoholism, Elizabeth turned to music. Her passion for music and fun became a lifestyle when she began following the Grateful Dead around the country. Elizabeth supported herself by making and selling handmade tie-dyed wall hangings.
Elizabeth's explorations in mixed media reflect both her love of diverse art forms and her need to continually learn and grow. Exploring issues of family relationships, emotions and a woman's position within society, her work covers territory ranging from loss and addiction to love and playfulness. Elizabeth's current work focuses on joining her openly rebellious hippie side with her more logical and disciplined science side.
In her piece Three Women, Elizabeth uses tie-dyes in the form of a vaginal shape to link her craft and psychedelic-laden past to the feminist art movement. She hand-stretches her dyes over wood armatures, and then covers sections with layers of wax and scientific illustrations of connective tissues, XX chromosomes, and DNA. While building up layers of wax, she floats images between the layers and carves back into the layers to express each woman's complexity, pointing out the similarities and differences between them. She runs elements across one panel and into the next showing how women are all interconnected.
Elizabeth is inspired by artists like M.C. Escher, who exemplify fine craftsmanship, precision and challenges in their work. She respects artists like Judy Chicago and Miriam Shapiro who helped focus attention to the way women's crafts have generally been dismissed from the "Art" conversation. Intrigued with the pattern and decorative movement, she hopes to lend another layer to current artists who are continuing to elevate craft to the status of fine art, like Sharon Kagan. She plans to continue to incorporate tie-dyes and other forms of craft into her artwork, and in the near future, wants to explore the logical side of where patterns, science, nature, and humanity collide.