Artist Statement
Liz Beavers. Photo: Rebecca Martinez for the News-Leader.My work is inspired by my childhood time spent at Smith Mountain Lake and my family's farm in rural Bedford county.
As a child I was raised to appreciate and love nature. Unlike so many children today, my siblings and I were given the freedom to roam, enjoy and explore the outdoors without boundaries.
Today, I aim to create one-of-a-kind clay sculptures that combine factual aspects of my favorite animals (frogs, fish, dinosaurs) with an interpretation that conveys a certain spirit in each piece. That's why while the form is as true to life as I can make it , the glaze effects are sometimes entirely my own invention. I prefer to think of my sculptures as having origins in fact — but, ultimately, inspire imaginative thought and reverence for all kinds of animals.
Thank you for coming to my website. I invite you to check out my studio notes, learn more about my process, and if you love what I do purchase something on my upcoming (February 2012) Etsy page or cantact me using the Contact form..
Bio
Liz Beavers, American, b. 1967
Staunton, Virginia
Ms. Beavers grew up in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia. She expressed interest in art at a young age. She began focusing on sculpture specifically during her studies in Art History at Virginia Commonwealth University.
After obtaining a B.A., Ms. Beavers began her art career immediately. She worked for several years in Richmond before relocating back to Bedford, Virginia. Her first dedicated professional art studio was on her parents' farm in the middle of a garden and frog pond.
Ms. Beavers' body of work is concentrated primarily on a study of creatures of the natural world, notably: South Eastern five-lined skinks, Green frogs, Eastern Fence Swifts, and dinosaurs. She also often produces sculpture pertaining to sea life , occasionally works of fantasy, and work by commission. Her work is shown and sold across Virginia and the mid-Atlantic.
Ms. Beavers now lives and works in downtown Staunton, Virginia. She is an avid gardener. Her home is one of the oldest in Staunton and is a work in progress.
