Elizabeth Sander has exhibited in Solo Shows and received awards in Juried Exhibitions, most recently in 2017 at the 40th Annual La Cloche Art Show where she won 1st in Oil Painting for “Rhythm of the Rocks”. Each year outdoor photography and research provide a balance with painting and commission work. She has been painting for over 50 years and, since 1989, has owned and operated her Studio & Gallery, originally in Kitchener, then Big Bay and currently in Georgian Bluffs.
In the spring of 1994, the Homer Watson Gallery of Kitchener presented “THE BRUCE TRAIL – AN INTIMATE JOURNEY” based on her hiking experience from Niagara to Tobermory. This collection was also exhibited in Collingwood, the Kitchener City Hall, Toronto, Ancaster and Owen Sound. Exploring Canada has resulted in paintings from every province and a major Series of paintings entitled “MY CANADA”. She has exhibited with the Artists Around the Sound in the Tom Thomson Gallery, Owen Sound and Southampton and in the Legacy Gallery, Owen Sound. In the late 1980’s, she worked for and was inspired by Kitchener artist, Peter Etril Snyder who was her mentor for many years.
Elizabeth continues to travel with her husband visiting Art Galleries and doing research for new paintings. Their most recent trips were to Russia, South Africa & Zimbabwe. Paintings from locations around Georgian Bay, Grey Bruce and travels are always a part of her collections. She continues to work from her Studio & Gallery near Owen Sound.
"My paintings begin as a conversation with myself and later are a conversation with viewers who bring their own perspective. The first step of any painting begins with thoughts about an interesting subject. I think about colour, light, impact of an image, but also how the subject affects my emotions, thoughts or memories. The painting forms first as an idea and is later expressed as a painting, primarily in oil on canvas or board. Viewers now have an opportunity to enter into the conversation with the piece. Context for the placement of the painting and the life experience of the viewer makes the artistic conversation personal and unique.
A wide variety of subjects keeps me interested and challenged, including landscape, still life and portraits. A country girl at heart, I am inspired by nature and beauty, from a grand panoramic expanse to an intimate portrait of a flower. Light is everything; it colours our world and is constantly changing. I race to capture it with my memory and camera. Often I am drawn to subjects for their shape and form or things that make me smile or laugh. I love the ever changing moods of water and a passion for gardening bring these subjects into my paintings also.
Hiking the Bruce Trail from Niagara to Tobermory was a life changing experience for me on a personal level. The resulting paintings were exhibited at a solo show at the Homer Watson Gallery in Kitchener and various exhibits throughout southern Ontario.
Living in Saudi Arabia for three years in the ‘80’s and travelling to many countries around the world in that time and the years since, has given me a unique perspective on my own country and the home of my heart, this Georgian Bay and Grey Bruce area.
Travels to different countries and cultures have filled my mind and memory with colour and images that I believe subconsciously invade my paintings. One unforgettable memory from Thailand occurred when we entered a silk shop. I was stunned by a whole wall of bolts of silk in the most brilliant colours imaginable. We saw later how the silk cloth was woven with separate pure colours and I believe that has influenced my layering of paint in many of my paintings, so that each layer of colour can be seen. I continue to travel with my husband and love to visit Art Galleries abroad. We recently returned from trips to Russia & South Africa which will influence and inspire new paintings.
My paintings are of how I see the world. They are my language. It is my hope that you enter into and enjoy the conversation."
Elizabeth Sander