Abby Elizabeth

As long as I can remember, I've had a passion for the handmade. One of my earliest crafting memories was making a heart shaped pillow for my mom on mother's day. I was pretty young, and didn't have access to a sewing machine so I used staples to stitch my pillow together.  Comfy, right!? After this came years of handmade gifts, clothes, and accessories. To no surprise I ended up as a crafts major at the University of the Arts in Philly. In the crafts department, we were  always reminded of the importance of form and function. That idea is still very present in my work, even though I do not make functional objects, necessarily. But I like to think that my art has purpose, it has a mission, and the individual aesthetics of a piece are just as important.

My process is strongly tied to the materials I use. I want my materials to inform the subject matter creating space for both to thrive, thus elevating the intensity and symbolism captured in a work. I use a lot of non-traditional materials so yard sales, flea markets and grocery stores are often when I find supplies. My process is somewhat labor intensive. I can spend weeks or even months on a single painting,  doing the same repetitive motion hundreds of times. I like to think of my process like meditation. With my physical form engaged in a single task, my mind is quiet. I guess you could say creating doubles as therapy for me. It gives me purpose and I get to work with my hands, which is both satisfying and rewarding. Focusing on subject matter that is meaningful to me allows me to share my viewpoints with an audience while giving me space to reflect on the challenges facing our society. Making grounds me. It gives me direction. My pieces are a reflection of my thoughts.  These thoughts often become obsessions, which is when I know I'm on the right path in creating new works. I think it's normal for the work to feel heavy. There is a lot of injustice in the world, a lot of suffering.  I make art that attempts to sort out the narrative of chaos and confusion that is so permissive in our culture.

Onward and upwards. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy viewing the work as much as I enjoyed creating it.