Lizzie Hemphill is an artist that now resides in Lewes, East Sussex after years of travelling and living abroad. Lizzie has exhibited worldwide in places such as the Cayman Islands and the South Pacific, her art is held in private collections in the UK, Grand Cayman, USA and New Caledonia. Her magical paintings explore themes of identity, fantasy and dreams and often have a surreal or narrative quality to them. We were instantly mesmerised by Lizzie’s ability to create wonderous pieces that are captivating to view. Not defined by one style or medium Lizzie has been exploring her natural talent creating portraits, landscapes and private commissions. An incredibly talented artist who only realised her true vocation later in her studies and is now making up for lost time. We first fell in love with Lizzie’s figurative art, work that mixes beauty, statement and a sense of surrealism. Art that displays an intensity and passion. We now know that Lizzie is able to create art on so many levels, she is an intriguing artist and we are looking forward to seeing more of her amazing work. Thank you Lizzie for sharing your amazing art with us.
Self Taught or Art School?
Self Taught. Growing up Art was something I always loved and was good at. It was the natural thing for me to carry on and study it at University level. When the time came to apply, I was living in Mombasa, Kenya and that made it really complicated to attend interview, send portfolio etc so, being the flippant 17 years old that I was I chose Psychology instead. I regret not studying art but I’m making up for it now..
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
Ah that’s such a hard question. I can’t pin it down to just one piece so I’m not even going to try.
How would you describe your style?
Quite diverse as I’ve been working on a lot of commissions over the last few years. I’ve done some very traditional looking portrait paintings and landscapes and some more unusual quirky pieces. At the moment I’m mainly working on acrylic and collage. I use old magazines and hand painted materials for the collage. My style’s quite bright, tight with close attention to decoration and detail. I feel my best work successfully mixes figurative and abstract/decorative. Personally, there’s always a creative tension between pushing myself with my technical skill (while not overdoing it or making it look strained) and still producing something that’s beautiful to look at and I’d want to buy. There’s a lot of art out there that I love and can appreciate the skill involved in creating it but wouldn’t want to hang on my wall. I aim for a style with both technique and “hangability”. Not something I always feel I have achieved. Not something everyone cares about anyway so it doesn’t necessarily matter.
What are your favorite places to view art?
Galleries and museums are the obvious answer. There’s nothing like seeing art in the flesh, in a sympathetic setting and I do so whenever I can. I’m lucky enough to live in a town with a thriving art scene, I’m a stones throw from Brighton and under an hour from London so there’s a lot of good places to see art. The reality of my life is that a lot of my art viewing is done online. Quantity over quality perhaps but I really appreciate the ease of access to art and information that the world-wide web affords me.
Who are your favorite artists and why?
I really admire artists who mix great technical ability with a creative or modern twist such as Dorian Vallejo and Michael Hussar (would I hang him on my wall though? No!) I think Alyssa Monks wields her paintbrush with truly awesome skill. I’m very drawn to artists who manage to paint realistically in a very loose and fresh way – something I really struggle with. I’ve always been in love with anything Art Nouveau. Gustav Klimt, Alphonse Mucha and Margaret Macdonald – their mix of figurative and decorative really floats my boat.
Who or what inspires your art?
Anything at all. An idea, something I see while out and about, a flash of inspiration. One of my latest pieces was inspired by a plastic shopping bag! Music is a big inspiration. I always listen while I work and match the music to the mood. Other people’s art is amazingly inspiring obviously, although my confidence can take a knock if I look at something that’s truly amazing. It’s hard not to compare oneself and get caught up in negative thinking “I’ll never be that good”. I feel most inspired when I’m driven by a strong and unique vision, and of course it helps for it all to be flowing and turning out how you want it to!
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
I was working from a Studio in the town where I live but I recently moved it back home. I use the conservatory for my studio – lots of light. I prefer working from home, close to the kitchen and my puppy. My studio is usually a tip, paper cuttings and paints everywhere. Creative chaos. It’s good to be able to close the door on it all.
Do you have any studio rituals?
I always listen to music. I can’t work without it. I also need lots of tea. I go into what feels like an altered state when I work and get frustrated if I have to stop and start. I basically start and keep going for the whole day or until I absolutely have to stop. I have periods of great productivity and then some days where I don’t feel it’s happening so I make myself stop.
What are you working on currently?
I’ve just finished 2 pieces back to back. My next piece is going to feature a naked woman, a beehive and some golden bees. It’s going to have a warm palette and be quite decorative – watch this space.. I’d be working on it now as I’m definitely in a productive phase but I’m waiting for a delivery of canvas.
Where can we buy your art?
I will have originals and limited edition prints for sale from my website in the very near future
www.lizziehemphill.com . I’m also in the process of linking it up to other online streams. I can be contacted through my website for commissions or enquiries.
What are your ambitions?
I’m working towards a solo exhibition. I’m also seeking representation from UK galleries at the moment. I’ve been back in the UK for a year, after living abroad for 6 years in the Caribbean and the South Pacific, so I’m now in a position to give my art career my fullest attention. I’m trying to build up an online presence using my website and other sites like Twitter so find me and please follow me if you like what you see (@lizziehemphill)! I’m also writing and illustrating a children’s book. On a personal level, I’m really happy to be settled with my family in Lewes. I had a rather bohemian upbringing and have travelled a lot in the last 6 years so I’m happy putting down some roots and giving my children some stability. My ultimate goal is to always improve and progress and produce beautiful art that excites and makes people happy.
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