Liz Hauck

I am an abstract expressive painter. I paint from my imagination tapping into feelings and memories. Painting for me is like the improvisation of a jazz player riffing around a theme, in my case using paint and playing with colour, shape, line and texture. Following the jazz analogy, I choose music tracks as titles, which in some way express the meaning of the paintings. Inspired to paint by the countryside around me and drawing upon observations, memories and experiences, my paintings emerge through the process of painting. Transitions excite me; the changing seasons, the cycle of life, birth, death, rebirth and the beauty to be found in both growth and decay. I am especially drawn to the random wildness of nature in stark contrast to the stillness and peace that I find in wild places. A fascination with colour and texture threads throughout my work. I create collage materials in multi media - acrylic paint, inks, textured mediums and papers - to explore different colour stories and create textured underpainting. Always an oil painter at heart, I develop the paintings with layer upon layer of oil paint. I now work mainly in oil and cold wax which gives a beautiful luminous finish. I take care to be environmentally conscious in my studio. Anything which can be is reused in my art. I avoid toxic substances wherever I can using natural oils as mediums and and oil or soap for clean up. Almost all leftover paint is used to create my collage papers. I donate all the proceeds from my art to charity. I have supported several charities in the UK but my focus right now is the Tongabezi Charitable Trust near Victoria Falls in Zambia. The Trust encompasses Tujatane School for underprivileged children and the Twaabane Creative Centre which offers vocational training to adults in the community.