ARTIST ~ ELIZABETH BISHOP

I was educated in Auckland, New Zealand and completed my interior design studies before heading to Perth, Western Australia in 1981. I continued to study and work in the area of marketing, plus adapting my creative skills to establish new markets for a corporate building supply company.

I established my own interior design practice in 1996, where together with a team of young and talented public space designers, I worked with corporations to design and project manage many award winning one-off displays. Other design and project management assignments included showrooms, corporate offices, residential developments and homes.

My interior design practice closed in 2014. This allowed me to further pursue my interest in fine arts and working with people who are severely and profoundly intellectually and physically disabled. My work involves mentoring, assisting these artists to develop their skills in art, and also providing personal therapy.

Inspiration for my artwork is derived from an inherit love of the land. My early morning walks within our local forests, together with my revered love for the Australian outback, provides an endless energy for artistic expression. Working under artists Louise Lodge and Neil Elliott, has given rise to my working in mixed media. This medium provides an exciting textural quality, often emphasising movement and enhancing the colourful dynamics of my work.

I also work in watercolour, which is a medium where a softness and a delicate approach, often seen within the detail of nature, can be achieved. These works are in contrast to the vibrancy achieved with the use of gouache and pastel, which is often used in conjunction with a base wash of watercolour.

In 2013 the Connecting Communities Kalamunda project was born out of my experience of working with four of the Nulsen artists who have an intellectual disability, along with a very talented and intelligent young artist with whom I mentor. There are many privileges that arise when working alongside these people. These include giving me inspiration and energy, and they often teach me new ways of doing things.