ABOUT LIZ MAXWELL (1936 - 2023)

Liz Maxwell
b. 1936 - d. 2023

 

Texture, light and color are three elements that draw Liz Maxwell to painting. Her reduced, spiritual landscapes often employ a horizon line and just one or two well-chosen motifs that take on greater symbolic weight for being so few. Maxwell develops her powerful imagery using a rich palette tending towards deep, warm reds, oranges, blacks, and earth tones.

Using oils, and watercolor washes sealed with an acrylic gel medium, Liz works with the paint in layers, slowly building texture while simultaneously producing a surface that enables her to scrape through to the underlying layers of color.

Born in West Point, New York, Liz has lived in the Bay Area for the past 37 years. She is most influenced by the Bay Area Figurative Painters. Her figurative works of musicians and dancers reflect the pull she feels toward capturing their unique ability to move the mind and spirit without the use of words. Liz's own ability to move the viewer without words is reflected in the success she has enjoyed over the years, from dozens of solo and group exhibitions to national awards, including the First Place Cash Award, 'Watermedia National' granted by Long Beach Arts in California in 1998. In 2002, her work was exhibited at the Oakland Museum of California in a show entitled, Being There: 45 Oakland Artists.

 

 

EDUCATION
1976       BA, Statistics, University of California, Berkeley, California, BA

 

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016       “Horizons”, Hang Art, San Francisco, CA

2013       “Pro Arts at Lathan Square”, Liz Maxwell, Oakland, CA

2011       “Liz Maxwell: Recent Paintings,” Montclair Gallery, Oakland CA
2006       “Interaction: New Paintings by Liz Maxwell,” Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland, CA
2003       “Liz Maxwell: Paintings and Monotypes,” Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland CA
2003       “Liz Maxwell: Recent Monotypes,” The Corridor Project 410, San Francisco, CA
2002       “Unencumbered Views: Recent Paintings by Liz Maxwell,” Studio 7, Pleasanton, CA
2002       “Liz Maxwell: Landscapes Left Alone,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2000       “Recent Paintings by Liz Maxwell,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
1999       “Liz Maxwell: Linoleum Block Prints,” The Albatross, Berkeley, CA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2016       “GLASS SLIPPER TO GLASS CEILING”, City College of San Francisco, CA

2015       “Same, Same, But Different 4.0,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA

2015       “EBB/FLOW”, Artist’ Annual Exhibition, Pro Arts, Oakland. CA

2014       “HERE”, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA

2014       “Collect”, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA

2014       “Same, Same, But Different 3.0,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA

2013       “Same, Same, But Different 2.0,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA

2012       “Shine,” Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA

2011       “Oscillating Landscapes,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA

2011       “Statewide Painting Competition,” Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA
2011       “Arts on Fire XV,” Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA
2011       “Scapes Exhibition,” Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA
2011       “Green,” Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
2011       “Untitled,” Caldecott Art Gallery, Oakland, CA
2010       “West Coast Prints,” Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
2010       2010 Juried Annual, ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2010       UrbanSapce Gallery, Oakland, CA
2010       “Exploring Contemporary Printmaking,” Marin MOCA, Novato, CA
2009       2009 Bay Area Annual, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA
2009       “Six Artists,” UrbanSpaces Gallery, Oakland, CA
2009       “Framed/Unframed,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2009       “Vista,” Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA
2009       “Works on Paper,” Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
2009       “Every1,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2009       Indoor Sculpture Exhibition, City of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA
2008       “Hueliday,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2008       “Bay Area Annual,” Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA
2008       “Original Drawings/Prints Exhibition,” Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA
2008       “The 3^RD Dimension,” O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA
2008       “Human Figure Exhibition,” Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA
2008       National Juried Competition, Long Beach Island Arts and Sciences, Loveladies, NJ
2007       “Small Treasures,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2007       “Monotype Marathon,” San Jose ICA, San Jose, CA
2007       “Paperworks,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2007       “Bold Expressions,” Northern California Arts, Carmichael, CA
2007       “Nine Years, Nine Artists,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2007       “Small Works,” 80 Washington Square East Galleries, NYU, New York, NY
2007       “Arts on Fire 2007,” Pacifica Center for the Arts, Pacifica, CA
2007       “Human Figure Exhibition,” Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA
2007       “Indoor Sculpture Exhibition,” City of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA
2006       “Wish,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2006       “Rooted,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2006       “Unframed,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2006       “A Show to Show How a Show is Not Only a Show,” Lobot Gallery, Oakland, CA
2006       “My California: Views from the Golden State,” The National Steinbeck Center, Salinas,CA
2005       “Distilled,” Hang Art, San Francisco, CA
2005       “Music in the Air,” Albatross Pub Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2005       “A Tribute to the Artist,” Art Concepts, Walnut Creek, CA
2005       “Winter Invitational,” Stonemetal Press, San Antonia, CA
2005       “Nearly All Media,” Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA
2004       “In Defense of  Liberty,” Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
2004       “New Visions 2004,” Pro  Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
2004       Westmoreland Arts and Heritage, Youngwood, PA
2004       “Arts on Fire,” The Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA
2004       “Works on Paper,” Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland, CA
2004       “Images of California Agriculture,” National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, CA
2003       Fourth International Exhibition, First Frontier Collage Society, Austin, TX
2003       “New Visions: Introductions 2003,” Pro Arts, Oakland, CA
2003       “Seventeen Bay Area Artists,” Joyce Gordon Gallery, Oakland, CA
2003       Westmoreland Arts National Juried Exhibition, Latrobe, PA
2003       “One More Thing Before I Go,” Hang Art, Palo Alto, CA
2002       “Landscape/Mindscape,” Hang Annex, San Francisco, CA
2002       “Northern National Juried Annual,” Nicolet College LRC Gallery, Rhinelander, WI
2002       “25^th Small Works,” 80 Washington Square East Galleries, New York, NY
2002       “National Print Exhibition,” Old Main Art Gallery, Flagstaff, AZ
2001       “Arts on Fire V,” Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA
2001       “Watermedia National,” Chico Art Center, Chico, CA
2000       “Family and Friends – Mainstream & Alternative,” Second City Council, Long Beach, CA
2000       “Northern National,” Nicolet College LRC Gallery, Rhinelander, WI
2000       “Defining Vessels,” Chico Art Gallery, Chico, CA
2000       “Arts on Fire,” Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA
2000       “Between Friend,” Sticks Gallery, Berkeley, CA
1999       “Two Perspectives,” Sticks Gallery, Berkeley, CA
1998       “Recent Works by Liz Maxwell and Carol Aust,” Sticks Gallery, Berkeley, CA
1998       “Small Figurative Paintings,” Broadway Windows Gallery, Oakland, CA
1997       “Double Visions,” Sticks Gallery, Berkeley, CA
1997       “Figures from Art and Life,” Barlett Fine Arts, Pleasanton, CA

 

MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS

2012       “Liz Maxwell: Recent Paintings,” Caffe’ Museo,
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
2011       “Statewide Painting Competition and Exhibition,” Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA
2011       “5 x 5 Invitational,” Westmont Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA
2009       “Diverse Impressions: Bay Area Abstraction,” Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA
2006       “Face the Nation,” UC Davis Design Museum, Davis, CA
2005       “Masquerade,” UC Davis Design Museum, Davis, CA

2004       “Modern Art Council Art Auction,” San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
2002       “Being There: 45 Oakland Artists,” Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
2002       “Oakland Museum Satellite Exhibit,” Oakland Airport, Oakland, CA
1999       “Small Works 1999,” Sonoma Museum of Visual Art, Santa Rosa, CA
1998       “Beyond Boundaries,” National Print Exhibition, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA
1997       “Face the Nation II,” International Mask Exhibition, UC Design Museum, Davis CA
1996       “California Small Works,” California Museum of Art, Santa Rosa, CA
1995       “Measuring Up,” Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA

 

AWARDS

2009       Merit Award, Santa Clara 5^th Annual Indoor Sculpture Exhibition, Santa Clara, CA
2000       Donor Award, Northern National Art Competition, Rhinelander, WI
1998       First Place Award, “Watermedia National,” Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA
1998       Merit Award, Northern National Art Competition, Rhinelander, WI
1996       3^rd Place Award, Figurative Small Works, Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, FL
1995       Honorable Mention, “West Coast Works on Paper,” Center for the Arts, Eureka, CA
1994       Honorable Mention, “The Last Decade,” Gallery 57, Fullerton, CA
1993       First Place Award, “We’re Only Human,” Gallery Concord, Concord, CA
1993       Third Place Award, 8^th Annual Miniprint International, Binghamton, NY

 

GALLERY AFFILIATION
Hang Art, San Francisco, CA

SFMOMA Artists Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Editions Limited, Emeryville, CA