Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Taylor.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I basically stumbled into making art during the pandemic. Like a lot of people, a few months into 2020 I was pretty stressed out and thoroughly sick of puzzles and cross-stitch (which I am terrible at by the way). I was cleaning out a drawer and found a small variety pack of oil paints that I used to paint a portrait on a piece of wood. It was such a relaxing process—meditative really. I made about 50 paintings on wood and later on canvas over the course of a year. It was a great emotional outlet during a time that was difficult for my family. Right after I got my vaccine I remember thinking that oil painting was the one thing I wanted to hold on to from this time period. So, I gathered up my work to show the public. Luckily, the people of San Antonio love their artists and have supported me and encouraged me generously since then.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the biggest obstacle for me has been overcoming imposter syndrome. Because I lack formal education in the arts, and have not taken a workshop where someone has taught me “how to oil paint” it feels like I struggle more with this than other artists. Many times when I sit down to start a project I have a mini freak-out of, “You don’t know what you are doing. Everything up until now has been luck.” Only recently have I been more comfortable with my identity and intuition as an artist.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work intuitively in 1-2 sittings to create contemporary, contrasting, dramatic oil paintings. Much of my work deals with existential and social expressions from a female perspective and creates an emotional connection with viewers.
I am passionate about keeping local and original artwork affordable, relatable and accessible to the middle class. I plan on creating a body of work for our community over the next 30 years that will outlast my lifetime.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’m the kind of person who uses bad luck as a catalyst and sees good luck as a blessing. During the pandemic, my oldest child (who has special needs) lost all of his services for a 6 month period. He regressed before my eyes on behavior, speech, toilet training and other skills that we had spent almost a decade making progress on. It felt like the worst kind of luck to be in that situation, but if I had not been under that level of stress I would never have found this passion and the trajectory of my life would be different. Before the pandemic, I was a custodian at In n Out and worked in retail. It feels like the best kind of luck to now work in the SA arts community.
Contact Info:
- Email: liztaylorthepainter@gmail.com
- Website: paintingsbyliz.com
- Instagram: @liz.taylor.the.painter
