Elizabeth Barden: Celebrating the Individual
Australian painter Elizabeth Barden celebrates the individual in her highly detailed portraits. Through her work, Elizabeth encourages the viewer to look beneath the surface in order to get a true sense of the stories and characters of the subjects she paints.
How did your creative journey begin?
I come from a family of makers, inventors and innovators, and have been creating as long as I remember. I was encouraged and supported to pursue creative endeavours, encompassing several and probably some surprising fields, thus I have skills in a few disciplines. I am very grateful for my upbringing, although in my early years a wider exposure to Art and all that it entails as a profession was somewhat limited (pre-internet!). I absorbed whatever I could from the glossy pages of Art books in the library. Before being in the position to be a full-time artist, I taught Art in Secondary Schools.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
People, bodies and faces fascinate me, I regard myself as a storyteller. I celebrate individuals, and challenge the viewer to look more closely to see what is beneath the surface, to give more than just a superficial glance. I choose my subjects carefully, for their character and their convictions - their stories make them so very intriguing to me. At times, the muse becomes a character in a narrative I wish to play out, and I find richness in symbolism and the meaning behind motifs. Mostly, what is seemingly simple can contain a complexity of underlying meaning and thoughts. Living, as I do, in the tropical Far North of Australia, I am surrounded by colour and light, and it does influence my choices. It is true that inspiration has to find you working - I paint and draw in some way most days. I am constantly learning. As sittings are involved in my process, I have met the most fascinating people that I would not have otherwise met, and that makes life so very interesting.
How has your work shifted and evolved over time?
My creative career has seen a few shifts, in response to events, and situations, with the ever present need to sustain a life for oneself and a family. Whenever I took on creative work outside of my painting practice, I always viewed it as a temporary side gig that was necessary to do, in order to bring me to the point that I could be in my painting studio full-time. I enjoyed everything I undertook, because everything you do and experience somehow finds a way to be relevant and useful. For a time I painted using acrylics, as I was time poor and needed the faster drying medium. To be able to be in my studio every day, has allowed me to return to the medium of oil paints, and to define my direction, driving my choices to support the evolution to full-time artist. My fascination with representing humans, and the human condition, has not wavered. Throughout time, the artists, writers and poets have added depth to the understanding of society.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
My studio is attached to my home. My routine involves doing the necessary household management tasks first thing, meaning that I commence in my studio at 10am, with usually my third cup of coffee in hand. I will work in my studio until around 4 or 5pm, by which time two border collie dogs are letting me know that they need their daily walk on the beach. I am grateful for my dogs as they tear me away from the intense focus, to take in exercise and fresh air. After that walk and dinner, I clean my space and equipment and prepare for the next day. I will critique my day’s achievements and write a note of the things that stand out to me as needing my further attention. My 'to do’ list would only make sense to another artist! For many years, due to work and family demands, I would only start painting at around 9pm at night, and paint through until almost daybreak. I look back and can’t believe what I would actually fit into 24 hours - I had two solo exhibitions in a public gallery during those years. I simply don’t have that stamina to do that anymore, and fortunately I don’t have to. I am still a bit of a night owl, and can be found sketching until late. It can be an isolating existence, to be an artist, and I do take time to see my friends, however they are all very understanding of what I do and what drives me.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
I chose to be a mother, to three wonderful humans, and there is no doubt choosing parenthood impacts on the time and money you can devote to an art practice, or any other vocation. My offspring and their unique qualities and individual interests enrich my life and add layers to my understanding of the world we live in. The Global Financial Crisis did have an impact on my art practice for a time, shrinking my opportunities, and that coincided with a busy time in family life. The current pandemic has led to interesting times, with cancelled physical exhibitions and missed opportunities to travel. However the global art community has responded with creative ways to be engaged and connected. To be able to be a part of a worldwide network of artists, galleries and related art industries is truly an amazing thing. I am most appreciative of this connectivity. To be represented in the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, and other public and private collections has been an honour and a thrill. The experience of being selected as a finalist in many significant award exhibitions has been tremendous. It can be a rollercoaster, the life of an artist, and to have your work displayed and appreciated is validating, however at the end of the day you make the art that you are intrinsically driven to make.
How has Instagram impacted your art career?
The internet as a whole has been significant to developing my art practice. Prior to being able to establish a website that I could direct traffic to, I had to mail heavy folios to prospective clients at great cost. With Instagram and other platforms, comes a whole new level of connectivity. The ability to instantly upload content and find new audiences is a powerful thing. It also allows me to find artists from all around the world to have a dialogue with. I have been approached regarding opportunities by being discovered on social media. I see all of the platforms as tools in your kit that you can choose to use or not, and how you wish to use them. Having said that, I am not all that tech and some things will always be a mystery!
What are your future goals and aspirations?
I hope to continue to strengthen a sustainable art practice, in order to keep telling stories through my medium of painting. I am looking forward to being able to attend physical exhibitions, and to travel to exhibitions all over the world. I aspire to create a small record of life in the here and now, for future generations to enjoy.
Website: elizabethbarden.com
Instagram: @elizabeth_barden_artist