Artist Statement
As a child I spent most of my time in the backyard, immersing and entangling myself in the leaves, branches, grasses, and flowers. I would create forest-like microenvironments to hide out in, and endlessly study the details of plant life, wondering how anything could be so naturally perfect. My obsession with creating these detailed environments became my way of curating an escaped reality from the normal built environment.
To this day, I can’t walk by a perfect flower or succulent without stopping in awe to appreciate its natural beauty. I find myself most moved and surprised by nature, and I hope to bring these same emotions to the surface for the viewer in my work. Through the process of collage, I am able to act as a creator of environments and compositions that appeal to me. By repurposing images of nature into new, designed compositions, I seek to offer viewers that same sense of escape I sought in my childhood.
What is your background?
I have always been interested in art since I was a child. Whether it was making jewelry, drawing, or re-arranging my room, I have always expressed myself visually. My parents put me in all kinds of summer camps: from sports to dance to mountain camps, but the only ones I got excited about were the art camps. I lived to spend summer days at the Arts Students League of Denver. In high school, I had some amazing art teachers who noticed my interest and guided me into the world of oil painting. I continued to study painting at CU boulder, with a minor in technology, arts, and media. I spent a semester abroad in Florence, where I learned traditional oil painting, as well as intaglio printmaking. Upon graduating in 2014, I found myself living back at home with limited space to create. I got interested in collage because of its mess-free and contained set up, and immediately fell in love. I have been collecting imagery and cutting the days away ever since! Up until June of this year, collage was a side project while I worked as a Display Coordinator for Anthropologie. Since the world’s landscape has changed in 2020, I have decided to pursue my own art career full-time.
What was the moment that you knew this was what you wanted to do?
When I got to college at CU Boulder, I heard that the only way to get into art classes was to be an art major. I didn't hesitate for a minute before realizing that art was what I cared about most, and that it was the only thing I could picture myself doing long term. Although I feel that I've had an inner-knowing about being an artist, that moment of declaring art as my major was pivotal in going down the path of doing art as a profession.
Who or what inspires you?
At the moment, I'm most inspired by the resiliency that we, as a collective, have exhibited this year. I feel a lot of excitement around the transformation people are experiencing on an individual level during these trying times. The open-mindedness and examination of what is really important in life I have observed in everyone around me has been inspiring and motivating.
In general, I am most inspired and moved by nature, and I hope to bring these same emotions to the surface for the viewer in my work. Through collage and installation, I attempt to connect individuals to the all-encompassing perfection of nature, and to evoke the same feeling of awe I experience as an observer of the natural world.
What is your dream project?
I would love to someday have a book that teaches and gets people excited about collage. It is such an accessible medium, no matter what setting someone is in, or art background they have. At one point in time, I was working a job that had very little creativity- so I got in the routine of doing a 15 minute timed collage every day just to get my brain thinking and moving in that way. The sense of empowerment and creativity that I would feel would last me through the day and remind me that I am capable of creating any reality that I want. I have benefitted so much through this process, that I want to share it with as many people as I can.
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
To surrender!
Workshops & Custom Collages
Workshops: After going through yoga teacher training, I realized how similar the practice of yoga asana was to the process of creating art- specifically collage. I developed a workshop in which I relate that process to mindfulness and meditation. In guiding people through this "Visual Vinyasa," participants are able to discover what "placing with intention" means- both in yogic terms and in the process of creating art. No prior experience is necessary, and I teach a step-by-step on how I create my collage compositions. Since COVID, I have taken these workshops to the virtual space, and I am currently offering corporate packages, as well as private party packages.
Commissions: I offer custom collage work both for individuals and for brands. I love using other people's photos to capture their aesthetic, essence, and energy- and make it into a lasting piece of art. I offer custom collages for small businesses to be used on social, web, print, and more. My goal is to provide brands with something they are genuinely excited about and surprised with, which is different from the more commonly seen graphic design. And for individuals, I aim to capture special moments through collage, and gift people a piece of art that celebrates their special day, pet, or trip in a unique and beautiful way.
Email: elisabethbakerllc@gmail.com
Instagram: elisabeth_grace_
Facebook: elisabethgraceart
Youtube: Elisabeth Grace
If you are a local artist/crafter/maker/indie business owner and would like to be featured on our blog, please fill out this form or contact Ashley at ashley@westandmainhomes.com with questions...we can't wait to learn all about you!
