MUNTHE ART MONDAY: Elizabeth Power

Instagram: @elizabethpowerart
Website: https://www.elizabeth-power.com

Introduce yourself and what you do. 

I’m Elizabeth Power and I’m an artist from St Leonards on Sea in the UK. My paintings draw inspiration from Colourists such as Matisse, Hockney and Tal R and I paint predominately landscapes and still lifes in a loose, abstract manner. I try fill my paintings with vibrancy and life, using a rich colour palette to transform any scene to feel like a hot Mediterranean day. Especially after the year we’ve all had I think we could all do with a bit of escapism!

I’ve been featured by the likes of The Royal Academy, Heals, British Vogue, The London Design Festival, Print Club London, Art For Charity Collective and Delphian Gallery.

Could you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career? 

Well, I’m a mother to a toddler so it has massively affected my career. It means I have to fight to be seen more as am unable to attend constant art openings, and I have less time to work as I have to juggle my career with being a mum.

However, it has made me more driven than ever to succeed as I want to prove that I can do it and set my child a good example that you can be whatever you want to be if you work hard for it! I also have a lot of very supportive female artists friends and I feel there is a real comradery between female artists as we know we need to help each other to be seen in such a male dominated industry! So, I am constantly promoting and trying to exhibit with talented female voices in the arts.

Can you name some other female (artist) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

Oh gosh, so many!

Yulia Iosilzon- I’m obsessed with her use of colour, playful lines and fairytale sensibility.

Jadé Fadojutimi- The most amazing abstract painter, a young superstar! 

Daisy Parris- Another amazing abstract painter, thick expressive paint full of emotion.

France-Lise McGurn- An incredible figurative painter who layers up her paintings keeping them very loose and free, spilling out of the canvases onto the walls, quite literally!

Chatal Joffe- Probably my favourite living portrait painter, her ability to capture her sitter’s emotions using such thick brush strokes and simple lines, is astonishing and the realness is beautiful.

Cathy Tabbakh - a wonderful painter with a love of plants and colour, a girl of my own heart!

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a female artist?

As mentioned before, I think having to juggle my time being a mother and an artist. I’m expected to exhibit and to produce as much work as everyone else, but I have half the time to do it in!

If you could own one piece of art, what would it be and why?

Probably Matisse’s Open Window (I have the print) as it reminds me of holidays in the South of France and I love the colour palette! Or I’d love anything by Lee Krasner!

Each Monday we bring you a new interview with a female artist.

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