My career as an artist began in a slightly unusual way, which has heavily influenced my style and technique. My love of live theater and visual arts led me into a fabulous and varied career as a theatrical scenic artist. This career spanned 15 years and saw me creating huge-scale back cloths and installations for many famous venues.
Shine on, mixed media, 39 x 59" (100 x 150 cm) Color is a key component to my work. I use predominantly acrylic paint and water-based inks. Each piece is the culmination of layer upon layer of tonal washes, which build and develop as the piece makes itself known. The use of mixed media is something I use very judiciously, and I love the contrast of the unmalleable, unblendable hard-edged metallic leaf alongside my carefully constructed marshmallow softness. I also delight in the reflective properties and earthy quality that comes from using metals. For me the medium needs to be part of the narrative of piece, it can’t simply add an attractive sparkle. Each painting has a tale to tell, and the mediums I use need to serve this purpose.
I loved this work, and I increasingly value what an incredible education as an artist it was to work alongside such knowledgeable and skillful colleagues. Scenic art taught me my craft as a painter without any space for ego. I learned how to use paint and truly understand color, how to manipulate my medium to produce endless different results. It wasn’t until my life circumstances significantly altered—becoming a mother and relocating from the UK to Asia—that I finally found the need to use paint to express my own self.
Peace Now, acrylic and ink, 61 x 49" (155 x 125 cm) This piece is a real celebration of rich color. The deep indigo tones are the result of upwards of 40 layers of ink and acrylic. From the lightest of turquoise to rich dark Prussian, my intention with this piece is create a mindful experience for the viewer. It’s important to me these paintings are imbued with a sense calm and serenity.
Initially overwhelmed by the idea, for the first time I had the freedom to create anything I wanted, so I began simply by looking out my window. Singapore is a city of cloud dwellers. Sky high architecture punctures the sky, bars are on rooftops, apartments are multiple floors up.
Soft serenity, acrylic and ink, 48 x 61" (122 x 155 cm) When the pandemic first began, the world shifted for me, both personally and on a global scale. It was easy to feel frightened, negative and despondent. During this time, I focused my creative energies on paintings that were deliberately uplifting. An exploration of the importance of human connection, the power of touch, empathy and affection, represented by colors associated with the renewing energy of a dawning sky.
Wolf moon, mixed media, 49 x 49" (125 x 125 cm) My preoccupation with the power of the sky extends itself through all hours of the day. I began to create these Luna pieces purely for my own self-expression. I find my own emotions to be intrinsically linked to the phases of the moon, often culminating in an overwhelming surge of emotions during the full moon. This painting is an artist at play, painting out my emotions in an attempt to control them. It is loose, bold and experimental, with an abundance of different mediums thrown together like alchemy.
The clouds were all around me. The sky, a result of the dramatic, tempestuous tropical climate was so different from the steely gray skies of the UK. My sky series was born. Through experimentations and play it has evolved over the years. One hang-up from my previous existence as a scenic artist is my love of scale. I paint big. Epic canvases that fill the wall, layers of color, light and emotion. —
About the Artist
Charlotte ElizabethAfter 15 years as a commercial scenic artist, Charlotte Elizabeth began exhibiting her own work, initially, in Singapore. Since then, she has worked with many different galleries both in Singapore and other parts of the world and has had numerous exhibitions. Her work is regularly exhibited as part of the Affordable Art Fair in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, US and Australia.
In Europe, she is represented Eclectic Gallery London, Wychwood Fine Art, Aura Fine Art, Arkley Fine Art, Luna Fine Art, Look Gallery and Evart Gallery. She is also represented by RedSea Gallery in Singapore, and in Australia, Gallery Eumundi.
Contact at
www.theartofcharlotte.com