Contemporary Abstract Artist, Liza Hathaway Matthews
How do your personal experiences contribute to your work?
My personal experiences play a very large role in my work as an artist. Wherever I am, I enjoy looking at everything as a painting and how would I capture it best. As an abstract painter, I look at things as shapes interacting with one another, the contrast of textures, and the colors that play within that particular image. I am a graduate of the Maryland Institute, College of Art, and had the good fortune to Major in Painting and Minor in Interior Design.
My eye is always drawn to not only landscapes but also to interior and garden designs and architecture. I usually have my camera or phone with me so that I can capture what I love.I will print out the image and add any notes to it for a possible painting idea! Not a day goes by where my mind is not racing thinking about my next painting and the endless possibilities with which to experiment with new mediums and color palettes.
What does your art mean to you?
My work means a lot to me, and I feel so lucky that I get to do it every day! I am constantly thinking of new techniques for my next project. I love to challenge myself to think outside the box. I truly get to do what I love by working on a skill that allows me to create whatever I want for a living. I feel so fortunate; it does not get any better than that!
What do you do when you don’t feel inspired to create?
When I am not able to paint or feel uninspired, I look at that as a time to re-energize. I know I won’t have new ideas every day and it’s important not to force them. I don’t feel the need to produce all the time now. The most important thing to me is to make sure I am enjoying doing what I love and giving 100% percent every day. My days look very different and that is helpful to keep me inspired. As a business owner, I wear many hats, from creating content, meeting with new and old clients, setting up interior designer showings, working on scheduled releases and shows, returning emails, and getting the word out on new work. All of this contributes to not always feeling the need to paint. I absolutely love working with collectors, art brokers, home interior stores, galleries, and designers. That interaction is very important to me and my business.
What is your favorite piece you’ve created?
Currently, I am working on a new body of work. Some of these pieces will be released in May 2022 with a wonderful Art Broker that I work within Richmond, Virginia https://www.lizapruitt.com/.This overall body of work will be about my ‘favorite views’. Each piece is a view that I love and see on a regular basis. We have the good fortune to live on Lake Roland in Baltimore County and I have an amazing view every day of the widest part of the lake. I am able to see the different seasons on the lake from the foliage, reflections, and wildlife. It has become a great source of inspiration for me. (see attached images of some of these pieces from this new collection).
How did you first get into art?
After attending the Maryland Institute, College of Art, I went into fundraising. I think that can be common after graduating, as you tend to steer away from whatever your major was in order to pay the bills. I was no exception but never stopped trying to create whenever I could. After getting married and my children were in elementary school, my daughter asked me to paint a piece for her bedroom. I did a piece that I loved! That is all it took for me to get right back into painting on a regular basis. I have friends that are designers that started tapping on me to do pieces for clients and overall projects.
I then had a website created for me, where my world was opened up to social media and I could be found by others in search of abstract art and possible collaborations. Anthropologie found me on Instagram, and I was able to design a collection for them around one of my abstract florals, which was featured on lampshades, wallpaper, passport covers, and clutches. I loved this collaboration! Now, being able to see my work as more than a painting is a dream come true. I am currently working on a linen collection that I am that will debut in June 2022. Please sign up and subscribe to my email and follow me on social media for the latest on new arrivals and collaborations.
What are your favorite colors to work with?
The color wheel is my friend. There are so many options and possible concoctions available to create something special and memorable. I have many favorite colors, but I think the particular colors you will find the most in my pieces are green, blue, and variations of sienna mixed with pale pink. I really feel that green and blue are my “go-to’s,” as they are organic and natural. I enjoy mixing and stumbling upon new colors, too. This process is all about experimenting, adding, and taking away color to find a new shade, which makes it fun, as I never know what I will get at the end. My hope with this experimentation with color is that it will keep my work interesting, unique, and truly one-of-a-kind. □
