Meet The Member - Artist Liz Rogers
We had the pleasure of interviewing our member Liz Rogers to find out more about her beautiful paintings.
Hi liz! Have you always been a creative person, and when did you discover an interest in painting?
Yes! It’s just been ‘what I do’ all my life. At school, art lessons were always my time to just enjoy creating. Now I’m lucky to paint all the time - when I’m not preparing for my watercolour classes and workshops I want to paint. If I’m upset I paint, if I’m happy I paint!
What are your favourite things to paint?
I love to work freely and instinctively so I prefer natural subjects where total accuracy isn’t required. Trees, seascapes and flowers - all big favourites.
What inspires your artwork and do you have a favourite artist?
I am often inspired by the atmosphere or colours in a scene. I look for opportunities to really let the paint flow and keep an energy in the mark making. It was Shirley Trevena’s work that drew me to the possibilities of watercolour - just magical. A painting should be intriguing and something to make the viewer want to look further and explore. Shirley’s pictures are a fascinating blend of reality and abstraction. Another favourite artist is Kurt Jackson - he approaches each painting with exactly the energy and freedom of mark making I enjoy.
Tell us a bit about the process behind creating your artwork.
A lot of time is spent thinking and planning because a lot happens quickly once I start. It’s really important that I study the subject well, immerse myself in the atmosphere, detail or character. The colour palette has to be carefully considered and ready to go so when I paint fast it’s all there - watercolours don’t wait for you!
When I paint I am hyper aware of my surroundings - consequently I can remember where I painted each picture, who I was with, what the weather was like, the time of day and so on - far better than a photograph.
How long roughly does it take for you to create a painting?
They rarely take longer than a day to actually paint but there’s a lot of preparation and adjusting once the painting seems to be finished. I always leave it to ‘settle’ then add final finishing touches over the next few days - I wait for it to tell me what’s missing - often small adjustments to detail or the tonal range.
Where do you sell your work?
I sell most of my work through my pop-up shop opposite Waitrose in Harpenden (usually two or three times throughout the year, the next one is 25th April to 1st May 2022). I also exhibit regularly at the Ayot St. Lawrence Art show and Art on the Common - both fall the same weekend, 18/19 June!
Do you have a favourite painting you’ve created? If so, could you describe it?
I have one I could never part with! I created it when I spent a week with Francis and Jason Bowyer on their course in Walberswick, Suffolk. It was heaven! The location and tutors were so inspiring. One day I sat on my own amongst the sand dunes to paint - it was one of those days where the sun shone but there was light rain every now and then. I just let the weather control my painting. The watercolours begun to run and blend in a way I could never recreate. The painting just reminds me of a very happy moment in time.
Tell us a bit about the classes that you offer and who they cater for.
I run weekly watercolour classes and Saturday workshops - all aimed at enabling all ability levels to paint. I strongly believe in the amazing therapeutic benefit of painting - it’s impossible to be creative and worry at the same time! I’m often quite envious of my students when I see them immersed in their work! I teach ‘step by step’ - but always allow students to expand the ideas or go at their own pace.
Do you have anything exciting coming up this year?
I usually teach every year for a week in France and a couple of long weekends in Walberswick, Suffolk. I’m really excited to be able to go this year - after lots of cancellations due to Covid. We work both on location and in the studio, collecting photographs, local ephemera and sketches to inspire. I prepare a detailed programme including a wide variety of techniques and subjects to give a framework to each trip.
What would your advice be got aspiring artists?
Just do it! Get those paints out and start with something really easy. I have a free beginner’s tutorial on my website (and YouTube) including a guide to materials and techniques - but please don’t hesitate to email me if you don’t know where to start. A minimal kit costs less than £20:
One brush (size 8-10 synthetic round), three small tubes of paint (Winsor and Newton Cotman tubes in Cadmium Yellow, Permanent Rose and Prussian Blue), a white plate or plastic palette (with large flat areas) and some watercolour paper (an A5 pad of Winsor and Newton 300gsm NOT paper - NOT is the type of surface).
Buy the kit (Artscape in Harpenden) then email me - I’ll send you some ideas on how to begin!
Lastly, we’d love to hear about your favourite hotspots in Harpenden.
For me Harpenden is perfect as I love all the green spaces; Rothamsted Park, Southdown ponds and the golf course. I remember discovering the golf course and the soft mounds of grass and from then on I took my dogs there regularly.