BIOGRAPHY

Elizabeth Brandstater is an emerging artist known for her abstract paintings which reflect her passion for authenticity and self-reflection as she experiences it through nature. Although largely self-taught, Ms. Brandstater studied with teachers at the La Jolla Athenaeum School of the Arts and The Art Academy of San Diego. Ms. Brandstater has exhibited in Southern California, and her work is held in private collections throughout the country. She lives and works in San Diego, California.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The driving force in my art is to paint my truth. Often, this involves the concept of identity and how circumstances, even daily life, can cause one to lose self-identity, resulting in a pressing need to find and redefine it. Personal experiences inform my work, though there is some safety for me in the obscurity of the piece. When I approach the canvas, there is a word, phrase, or strong emotion I associate with my endeavors. It is a process of bringing something out of me that is as of yet unresolved, reaching resolution in the work.

My creative impulse moves me from my critical, analytical mind to an observing and feeling self. I am drawn to the mystery and emotions of non-objective painting, observing what happens when colors come together, seeing the lines and shapes that appear, like having an experience before the brain has time to recognize it. Not being bound by realistic representation, I create my own language to communicate. Repeated application and removal of paint is part of the process. Once I’ve completed the work, it is up to the viewer to interpret, contemplate and respond, a collaboration between artist and viewer.