Each painting has its own voice and by listening - by entering the creative stream - I see each painting emerge with successive layers of color and texture, patterns and glaze.
Vander Zee School of Painting
Art League School
James Madison University, B.S., 1984
Vienna, Virginia artist, Liz Wallen, graduated from James Madison University with a business degree, but still made time for her hobby of painting. In 2004, she decided to to take her art to the next level by studying at the Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2005, she moved to the Vander Zee School of Painting, also in Alexandria, to study under Robert Vander Zee.
Liz considers her paintings to be about energy - the energy of color, of paint moving on the canvas, of the mystery evoked by shadow and texture. Her paintings - oil on wood panels - evolve from a basic sketch or photograph. The initial drawing is then followed by many layers of thick paint and successive glazes, after which she incorporates patterns and adds spattering. Liz often applies sand to incorporate texture and enjoys using sticks, rags and even her fingers to manipulate the paint. Liz's paintings have become a means for her to express her own delight in nature.
Liz Wallen creates mysterious landscapes. They are inherently ethereal, with elements of nature that seem to magically materialize from an otherworldly mist. Her vibrant color harmonies incite the imagination. Her unusual compositions, filled with layers of subtlety, challenge the viewer to explore the gap between reality and abstraction and all that lies between.
