Liz Toole
Jasper Stone Logo by Liz Toole
One Tree by Liz Toole
Three Trees by Liz Toole
Theodora by Liz Toole
About the Artist
Liz Toole now lives and works in Brighton after spending the majority of her time between Shropshire and Cornwall. After graduating from an H.N.D. in ceramics at Cumbria College of Art and Design she then went into the second year of a ceramic degree at Cardiff Institute of Art and Design. Following on from her degree Liz spent seventeen months travelling and working in Africa. With little or no access to clay and being surrounded by constant sources of inspiration it made her realise the importance of her drawing and painting.
In the past two years, through rigorous research and investigation Liz has been exploring birds, fish, dogs, mammals and insects. Liz has discovered in her own creative process that she draws inspiration from a combination of visual and written sources to fuel her inspiration.
From the source material Liz creates her own characters. The imaginary names they are given play an important role in developing their personalities. Combining paint with text the characters are then placed into human scenarios which creates a feeling of humour and the bizarre.
The majority of Liz’s work is painted onto pieces of recycled wood and wooden objects using a mixture of acrylic, coloured pencils and pen. Using worn pieces of wood as a canvas gives the work an unusual sense of history. Painting onto an object and working with a three-dimensional material also relates back to Liz’s ceramic roots.
Liz’s influences have been brought back from Africa, in vibrant use of colour, subject matter, recycling and inspiration taken from Naive artists. One particular group called the Weya Women paint onto pieces of hardboard and wooden trays, telling a story of everyday African life.
Magical Landscapes
Liz’s latest project is based on landscapes, creating scenes that have a magical timeless quality, inspired from the incredible plants she saw in Africa, from the land and under the water. Art of the Kalahari, paintings and prints by the Botswana Bushmen have also been a huge inspiration.
Art Exhibitions and Galleries
Liz regularly exhibits her work in galleries throughout the UK and is presently receiving interest from publishers of children’s books and card companies, which is an area she is very keen to become part of. Liz often receives commission work in which she portrays peoples pets in an amusing way!
