Spotlight on an Artist: Liz Steele
Meet artist Liz Steele, whose work ranges from lively architectural sketches to her much-loved tea cup sketches. Based in Australia, Liz is known internationally for her location sketching, teaching and thoughtful approach to observing the world around her.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
10/6/20262 min read
I’ve been following Liz’s work for many years, through her sketches, tutorials and articles online. I was lucky enough to meet her briefly at the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Toulouse this year and I’m very grateful that she agreed to take part in this Artist Spotlight.
1. What’s your favourite subject to sketch?
Any scene that has a few big shapes with lots of opportunity to create complex colour and texture.
2. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Neither, but I would like to be more of an early bird.
3. What colour couldn’t you do without?
In watercolour it’s Monte Amiata Natural Sienna, but also Cobalt Blue 5% in Neocolor II and 553 in Tombow.
4. Can you sing?
Yes - I like singing descant at church
5. What art supply do you secretly hoard?
I’m not sure how secret my hoarding is :- but I probably have more watercolour (pans and tubes) than anything else.
6. What’s the one art supply you couldn’t do without?
My Sailor Fude de Mannen 55 degree fountain pen
7. What’s your favourite thing to wear?
Dresses! I would love to have enough dresses so I could wear them exclusively! They are so comfortable and they can make an ordinary day feel special.
8. What’s the silliest art thing you’ve ever bought?
Hmm, I can’t think of anything I would classify as silly. These days I only buy new art supplies if I see someone else using them and believe that they will fulfil a current need in my sketching.
9. What’s the funniest comment you’ve had while sketching?
While sketching my meal and the 'tablescape’ at a restaurant in Rome our neighbour said: “Did you just do that now or did you do it beforehand?"
10. Do you have a favourite quote or motto?
This quote never fails to inspire me:
“Anything under the sun is beautiful if you have the vision – it is the seeing of the thing that makes it so. The world is waiting for people with vision – it is not interested in mere pictures.
We must teach ourselves to see the beauty of the ugly, to see the beauty of the commonplace. It is so much greater to make much out of little than to make little out of much – better to make a big thing out of a little subject than to make a little thing out of a big one.”
- Charles Hawthorne from Hawthorne on Painting
Check out the beautiful images below that Liz has shared with us:
You can discover more of Liz’s work and follow her here:
Online Courses: https://sketchingnow.com/
Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/c/LizSteel
Blog: https://www.lizsteel.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizsteelart/
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