Elizabeth Snow
Many of my paintings are portraits; I love to paint the human face and figure, in a style that tends toward realism. My work is mainly about emotions expressed through facial expression, body language, and gesture or situation. Some current themes are ephemerality, transition, love, loss, identity, and social commentary. I often use color and light/darkness to manifest my idea for each piece. I paint mostly in oils, using soft filbert brushes of different sizes. I prefer oils because of their rich colors, creamy consistency, and slow drying process.
When beginning a work, I usually make a rough drawing in thinned paint over a toned ground, gradually building up my painting in layers. I learn as I go, and continually paint over, correct, and refine until I am satisfied enough to stop. I usually have a few paintings going at the same time, so that while one is drying, I can work on another. Each painting presents its own series of interesting problems that I need to solve, for instance: determining the source, quality, and direction of the light; correcting the values; or obliterating unnecessary clutter in a work. Often, dreams, poems, fairytales, memories, music, myths, or even a chance conversation will guide my decisions and influence my artistic choices. Sometimes in the work at hand, I will depict objects that have personal or symbolic meaning to the subject or myself.
I feel compelled to express emotion through painting, and the human face and figure are the best ways for me to do that. I am inspired by observing people. I love to watch how light falls on faces and figures in different settings, and I love observing the subtle shifts of emotion in the people around me. I am also inspired by studying the work of other artists, both contemporary and past masters. Some of my favorite realist portrait artists of the past are Antonio Mancini, Ilya Repin, Ivan Kramskoy, Rembrandt, and Cecilia Beaux. I am always eager to discover new portrait artists, especially women artists, who have been mostly silenced, restrained, or marginalized throughout history. I feel energized and inspired by talking with other artists about their work; sharing techniques, ideas, and strategies; and supporting their artistic vision.
