ELIZABETH GAIR PALMER
A love of nature and landscape was nurtured by childhood spent living next to bushland in outer Brisbane and subsequent family moves to Karumba, Longreach, North Queensland and Noosa Heads.
An obsession with drawing the human form began from the age of three or four. In Grade One Elizabeth was severely disciplined for drawing a figure including eyelashes and eyebrows when the teacher had instructed the class in drawing a stick-figure.
Now she takes the advice of William Robinson: "Paint your life".
This has meant Elizabeth paints the Noosa National Park and surrounds, flowers from her garden and suburb, interiors and objects and people when she can get them to sit still long enough.
ARTIST STATEMENT
"Optimism is a conscious act of courage; painting flowers is a political act"
Elizabeth Gair Palmer
Painting and drawing are a way of being for me. They are how I relate to the world and how I decipher what I find. Painting never fails to excite my senses. My practice is one of finding hope and beauty, often in the plainest or most ordinary of subjects. As an eleven-year-old I read about Vincent van Gogh's The Potato Eaters and it has inspired me ever since.
My subjects range from figurative, landscape, still life, travel and my dreams. Inspiration is all around.
Ultimately I strive to make work that speaks of hope and optimism and to show that painting in a representational style still holds deep meaning for people.
CV
Elizabeth Gair Palmer, B.A., Univ. of Qld., Grad. Dip. of Sec. Teach. Kelvin Grove, Bachelor of Fine Art, Qld. College of Art, Griffith University
Solo Exhibitions:
2014 Wild Canary Restaurant, Brookfield Garden Centre
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 at Oriel Gallery, Ascot
2002 Shared exhibition with Master Glassmaker, Peter Crisp, Oriel Gallery
Exhibitions:
2014 Brisbane Modern Art Gallery, Fortitude Valley.
2013 Graduate Exhibition, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University
2013 Project Gallery, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University
2012 Rotary International Art Spectacular (invitation only)
2011 River Studios, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University
2010 StanthorpeRegionalArt Gallery (invitation only)
2010 RNA Exhibition Art Show
2005 Barefoot Gallery, Noosa Heads
2004, 2005, 2006 Rotary International Art Award, Brisbane
2003 Martin Hanson Art Award, Gladstone Regional Gallery
2001 Oriel Gallery, Ascot, Group Exhibition
Prizes & Awards:
2015 Brookfield Show, First Prize, Oil Painting
2014 BrookfieldShow, First Prize, Oil Painting
2013 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence
2001 Brookfield Show, Second Prize, “Courier Mail” Art Award
Commission Works, 2009-2011 (see below)