Liz Bolloten 

"Watching Paint dry: The most misunderstood idiom ever coined. It remains an exhilarating , dangerous and stimulating experience, where Art and Originality collide".

About

Born in 1957, Liz’s previous career in Nursing, having been cut short by an accident, has led to the development of a lifelong passion for Watercolour Painting. Having dabbled in creating Art for most of her life, she  began painting professionally about 20 years ago. “ I grew up roaming The Downs near Woodingdean, and it is a joy to reconnect with Sussex, especially in a painterly fashion!”
Her book that was published two years ago;  SOUND OF A RAVENS WINGS BEATING, includes 78 Watercolours.
Self taught mainly, this has been advantageous in teaching others through numerous workshops, as she well understands the pitfalls.
She is passionate in describing and depicting the Natural world, mainly figuratively, but breaking all the usual Watercolour Rules to allow for the processes of the life cycles  to be expressed.  She explains “ I adore imparting to others skills, that  can help them connect with their inner artist, and to relax into a medium that so many find terrifying!”

Medium and technique

Exclusively Watercolour, although  always looking for new ways to describe the subject, and is experimenting a little with some collage and other mixed media.
“I see subject material just about everywhere, but it is invariably found in overlooked places. For instance, some ruined building  that holds numerous memories of past experiences.  Layers of peeling paint express the pathos of disintegration ruination, and  decline.  I feel often the sadness and history involved in the telling of a story.
I  sense a responsibility to convey that in my brushwork. Also the skeletal and linear remains of a plant in the winter season. These are examples of subjects I am seduced by. There is a striving for authenticity in narrating the drama. “. She explains,
“The watercolour paint itself will always have the last word in my approach. I start out with an idea, but I always allow a great deal of room for the paint itself to dictate what is happening. Watching paint dry is not the dull pastime  it is depicted to be!  The slow alchemy at work, influenced by drying times, atmosphere and temperature are mesmerising. I like to give permission for the subject itself to decide the trajectory within my rough guidelines to create a sense of transience and uniqueness.

What to expect

For The Art Above Exhibition, Liz will be exhibiting new  Framed Originals and Mounted Unframed Originals, and Limited Edition Prints,  including a selection of recent Sussex based work, as well as a range of other subjects