About the Artist
ELIZABETH GEERS LOFTISSome think they are block prints, or batiks, and others have said they remind them of weavings. But viewers frequently ask how Elizabeth creates her work. Using watercolor paper, she first makes a pencil drawing. She then fills in the spaces with oil pastel, carefully leaving blank outlines around the various images (see example below). The most exciting step is when she paints over the entire picture with watercolor paint, usually black. The pastel repels the paint, while the watercolor saturates the blank spaces, giving the images dark outlines. After it dries, excess paint is scraped away with a knife, creating an interesting texture on the colored areas. She then goes back in with additional oil pastel to make any desired changes.
It was the beautiful colors and patterns of southern Africa which inspired her to produce her most personally satisfying work. For almost 30 years, Elizabeth accompanied her Foreign Service husband to postings on four continents and one south Pacific island. Her paintings frequently reflect images found in nature, and to these she adds patterns or colors derived from her experiences and imagination.
Elizabeth studied art at Colorado State University, and she has taken courses and workshops in New Zealand, Switzerland, France and the Art League in Alexandria, VA. She recently moved with her husband, Bob and dog, Diego, to a lovely ridge above the city of Bozeman, Montana, where they can view the town and 3 mountain ranges at their leisure.
"Procession": before painting and completed piece
