Meet Elizabeth Marie | Artist & day job Administrative Assistant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Marie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, what’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
I get choked up just thinking about it because it shifted my whole outlook on life. The most difficult decision was to be happy in other’s success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The art that I create is me, showing myself off. Okay that sounds egotistical, yet that’s what every artist says they do, except mine are stories I’ve lived, living or hope to live represented by the colors and brush work on the canvas. I’m continuously exploring my work through various mediums, such as I renewed my interest in india ink and the desert full of it’s life, creatures, and this thing for bugs. I’ve been creating in various mediums forever. And most proud about? When a teacher told my mom to not encourage me to continue art because I shake so much, my mom reassured me that I can do it.

Over the years, my art has been celebrated on magazine covers, commercials and music videos. I’ve had a brick and mortar gallery in Nyack NY, a ceramic art studio in Denton TX and manufactured products for Neiman Marcus and Spiegel catalogs as well as retailers around the country. All this encouraged me and knocked me down a notch or two when change came. The challenges brought problem solving and revelation. It broaden my outlook on life and prompted me to have the attagirl gratefulness of true success.

Art is so subjective, it’s never easy. For example, why I’ve dedicated this Shoutout to my fellow artists at Art Machine Gallery this is the back story.

It was one of those serendipitous things. Years ago I was checking out a gallery in The Silos at Sawyer Yards. I happen to see a few social media posts and emailed the gallery. The response was come on by. With portfolio in hand and expecting nothing as I shared my artwork, Jay the gallery curator said “We’re excited to have you be a part of Art Machine Gallery”. I walked away thinking what just happened? I wasn’t ready to be in the big leagues of the Houston Art scene.

Sawyer Yards is the rehabbed grain silos and warehouses of the former Mahatma/Success Rice site and is home to over 350 artist studios; one of the biggest in the country and many of the artists are well know nationally and internationally. That’s a huge leap from a visual arts center in a town 30 miles west.

I began exhibiting and found myself a deer amongst hunters. I watched as each artist pulled at the gallery viewers, enticing them away from other artists work, talking for 20 minutes or more about their art, that so exhausted them they had to head to the goodies table the gallery provides and get energized again. I saw how many folks were drawn to a particular artist and art form. My first day I sold a painting, I was thrilled. Then weeks passed, watching with irritation as others sold. I became frustrated, questioning everything about me and my art. I looked at these seasoned artists as a the hindrance to my sales; who knew how to make a sale, read the audience, move through the crowd like a wolf stalking it’s dinner.

As I began to dread going to the gallery, fearing I wouldn’t make a sale or my art wasn’t good enough. I made a conscious choice to be in gratitude for their sales and bounty. One of the hardest thing about being an artist is the lack of support for one another and the jealously thing. We do this because we artists truly believe our art is the best and everyone should love it and buy it because “I” made it.

Art is subjective. I questioned many times why that person bought a specific piece and with compassion I began to see the purchaser’s need for that particular piece and their happy would benefit. My transformation went from a jealous artist, to one that celebrated every artist in the gallery and outside. A weight lifted. My biggest lesson is to see past the external rewards and view the person’s soul and actions. I decide on that, how I go forward with my choices and I seek to be surprised at the evolution that will come. I’ve taken this into many parts of my life, just be happy for others too.

My goal became to celebrate art and creators however their gifts and talents manifest. Since I first arrived at Art Machine Gallery many artists have come on gone. The line up changes often. I now, watch the art enthusiast look at one of my fellow artist’s works and I’ll talk to them about it. On occasion, that conversation makes the sale. I’m thrilled for them and the gallery as a whole.

I see my new approach has softened some of my fellow artists to see what the customer wants and lead them to the artist that has their painting vision. This group of women and men are doing what they are passionate for in the way they do because it’s what they know. There is still harmony, respect and admiration we hold for one another being this brave in a field of creativity. This Shoutout is about an artist community I was destine to be a part; to learn, to evolve into my artistic gifts through my soul and to celebrate creativity with sales! Grateful for the lessons and support.

I would love for my brand to be the talk and purchasing choice of collectors around the world. I’m a bit too introverted to do the things artist usually do stand out. I want my art to do that. Oh! don’t get me wrong, I love the camera and me; just without the ‘she’s the one investment from collectors’ the validation wavers which being part of Shoutout, my story is written like my paintings, to be the impetus to let people know my art and me. Of course if my style isn’t your thing I’d introduce you to the artist that is. I have this joy to share even though I probably can paint in the style they seek, since back in the day I considered myself a copy artist. That is an artist that copies something from a picture the client likes to make the sale. I do commissions and prefer to create their vision now. Everything I create is inspired from the soul or the world around me. Yet the thrill of sale, for any creative is the most rewarding.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A week long trip to the Houston area? Get ready for some road tripping my friend.

Being that I reside in the Richmond area, which is about 25 miles from downtown Houston, we’d start there. The history that was made in Richmond, the county of seat of Fort Bend is enlightening. From the cemetery where leaders of the Republic of Texas are buried, to the charming historic buildings of Morton Street, it truly has a day’s worth of activity to keep us busy. We’d buy an edgy top or pair of shoes at Treasure Hunters and shop 3rd Street, then head west on Morton to have lunch at Sandy McGees. They say all the buildings on Morton Street are haunted. Not letting any ghost distract my focus on the fresh made guacamole. We’d visit the Fort Bend Museum to learn about the fascinating ground breaking history of people of many races that came before and their role in forging community, equality, entrepreneurship and civil rights in this area. Then, head west down 90A to Rosenberg and do some antique shopping and visit the Fort Bend Art Center.

The next day to Sugar Land. Visit the Art Museum TX where the artists are juried in and exhibit from all over the world. Stroll down the street a bit to have a meal at BB Italia. The shrimp scampi has the perfect balance of flavors especially over the sauce saturated bread. We’d drive a couple miles south and take a walk through Oyster Creek Park. There’s something daring to walk naively through a beautifully groomed park and head into the natural parts; the warning signs about alligators heightens awareness to every splash in the creek or thud in the woods. Plenty of shopping and unique places in this area.

Second Saturday is the day to head to Art Machine Gallery. While it’s open every Saturday, the Sawyer Yards complex and all its studios are open on this day. It’s fun to watch the people who come, to discover art and meet the artists. The complex is so big it’ll take all day to explore, luckily there are great restaurants within walking distance or a short drive.

The next couple days would be exploring Downtown Houston and Galveston. If there happened to be a baseball game on, or the rodeo happening we would definitely be hats or boots on doing that. Always enjoy taking a walk through Memorial City Park and visit a few museums in the Houston Museum District along the way. And of course, we’d have to visit The Heights for food, Montrose for life outside the norm and The Menil Collection with lunch at LUA Viet Kitchen across the street. Galveston has great restaurants and there is something refreshing walking on wet sand. The Houston shipping channels are ginormous and quite the sight to see.

As the visit winds down, maybe a drive to Surf City and have lunch. I can’t find the words to describe the feeling of driving by all the oil refinery buildings, the swamp land and knowing that Texas and the Gulf of Mexico serve the United States in so many ways to provide fuel, food, commerce and military items. Truly puts me in a moment of gratitude. Surf City is a place to sit back have a drink, watch to the activity on the water and just stare into the horizon being grateful.

And if they happen to have flown in through IAH, I’d drop them off at the United Airlines Terminal and have them see my painting on exhibit now through 2025 at Gate A7. Hopefully their flight out is at Terminal A!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This Shoutout goes to my fellow 14 artists who exhibit and sell at Art Machine Gallery in Houston Texas.

Website: https://www.emarieart.com

Instagram: elizabethmariefineart

Facebook: elizabethmariefineart

Other: @art_machine_gallery #developrichmond