Artist Happy Hour with A Framer’s Touch
Check out this artist interview between me and Kristen Ling, owner of A Framer’s Touch in Forest Grove, Oregon in May 2020.
A Focus on Flowers
In December I celebrated six months in my studio at East Creative Collective in downtown Portland. After a busy phase of settling into my new space, and a lot of abstract painting, I took off to Maui for a week-long painting workshop in November to celebrate my birthday. While in Maui, I rediscovered the joy of painting what I see, i.e. painting more representationally. On the third day of the workshop, I painted a floral still-life of a fresh-picked Hawaiian bouquet, using transparent and opaque watercolors.
I have loved flowers for as long as I can remember. My favorite novels are about flowers (The Orchid Thief, The Language of Flowers), I gravitate toward floral printed textiles, and for many years, before I became a painter, I nurtured an amazing perennial garden in my postage-stamp yard. My studio is home to a rapidly growing collection of orchids, and I have long held a secret desire to be a floral designer one day
“Hawaiian Bouquet” by Elizabeth M. Higgins
So, wish me luck in my commitment to stick to this subject at least through the end of March. I can’t wait to see where this takes me! You can follow me on Instagram to see my weekly progress.
Other floral inspirations:
“Tropicana” by Elizabeth M. Higgins
Catherine Bede Gallery
I am pleased to announce that my work will now be featured regularly at Catherine Bede Gallery in historic downtown Hillsboro, Oregon. www.catherinebede.com
Catherine Bede Gallery features original fine art, prints and art greeting cards. The gallery represents local artists who work in a wide range of materials and styles including watercolor, pen & ink, charcoal, oil, acrylic, mixed media and sculpture. The gallery is under the direction of Catherine Bede, who is also a participating artist.
On the First Tuesday of each month the gallery hosts an artists’ reception during the Downtown Hillsboro First Tuesday Art Walk. For more information about the Downtown Hillsboro First Tuesday Art Walk and participating businesses, visit http://hillsborodowntown.com/events/hillsboro-art-walk/.
Staffed Hours:
Monday 5 pm to 8 pm
First Tuesday of each month 5 pm to 8 pm (monthly artists’ reception)
Saturday 10 am to 2 pm
Portlandia!
Two of my Coastal Collages were used on the set of the popular T.V. show “Portlandia.”
I submitted my art last fall for consideration, and recently learned that they were selected to be used in Season 7, Episode 9, “Passenger Rating.”
Here is a screen shot of one of the scenes in which the art appeared.
Here are the two pieces that were used on the show. These collages measure 8 x 10 inches and matted prints are available for sale.
“Cape Kiwanda” by Elizabeth M. Higgins
“Proposal Rock” by Elizabeth M. Higgins
Deconstructed Abstracts
After a short break from painting this summer, I needed a simple, fun goal to get me back into the swing of things this fall. I felt the need to put paint to paper, but did not have the energy or inspiration to think of a subject, to make those important foundational drawings, and create a successful composition.
So I gathered a big supply of watercolor paper, loaded my palette with pure hues, and began playing. I reached for the colors that attracted me and I made marks with my favorite brushes. It was pure play.
Once finished with the “painting” I had the desire to cut it into smaller pieces and rearrange those pieces to make a more interesting composition. Once I was pleased with the new arrangement, I glued the pieces down on another piece of watercolor paper. The following photos show the “before” and “after” results of this process.
This is a fun and liberating mode of creating, and I plan to show these deconstructed abstracts in my upcoming solo show in February 2017 at Village Gallery of Arts, 12505 NW Cornell Road, Suite 14, Portland, OR 97229.
“Evening” Wins Award in Juried Show
“Evening” by Elizabeth M. Higgins
My watercolor painting “Evening” won a third place award in Village Gallery of Arts’ semi-annual juried show. The juror was Kathy Haney, who has taught high school art for over 25 years. Her watercolors have won awards in over 30 local, regional and national juried shows. She is a member of the National Watercolor Society, the Northwest Watercolor Society and the Watercolor Society of Oregon. Her art is in private collections in the US, Europe and Asia.
“Evening” was painted with watercolor over a gessoed surface. I applied thick layers of quinacridone colors to a gessoed surface, and then wiped away areas of paint to reveal the stand of trees – a liberating, surprising method of painting.
