Elizabeth Power
Artist + Musician
What is your background, and how did your love of art and style develop?
Elizabeth. I was drawing and painting as early as I can remember; it was a massive part of my childhood. My mum is an art therapist, so much of that came from her. My mum is allergic to colouring in, but she encourages you to do whatever you want. Certainly, to be free and abstract in the beginning.
As a teenager, I remember going to the Tate Modern on a school trip, seeing Cy Twombly’s Four Seasons, and realising that art can be like this. I thought, OK, great; I could see splashes of colour, drips and lines. And remember feeling unbelievably excited. My eyes opened, and I’ve desperately wanted to do that from then on.
I went to Lingfield Notre Dame, a school in Surrey; they had a great art department. I wasn’t into much else there, but the art department was incredible. They gave me complete free reign to create massive pieces or whatever I wanted to come up with. At that time, I was interested in drawing people, which I don’t do that much now.
I went to the University of Arts London at the London College of Fashion to study for a degree in Fashion Illustration. It was the most fun; I spent three years drawing models. And I met the best people. It taught me to draw and paint quickly, just like trusting my initial eye. If you’re doing fashion illustration as a profession, there will be times you need to draw a model coming down a catwalk, and you’ll have seconds to capture what you need. That’s stayed with me.
“I’ll do the initial sketching in a matter of minutes, and then I’ll spend time blocking it in. I’m drawn to things looking free and loose and not necessarily a hundred per cent finished.”
I wanted to do fine art, but my parents always worried about me earning money from whatever path I chose. That’s how I ended up doing illustration instead of fine art. But then illustration didn’t lead to great-paying jobs. I found that industry tricky, mainly illustrating for magazines. Low budgets and many people saying things like, you should be grateful that we’re giving you this platform, but not paying my worth.
A blank white canvas can be quite daunting, so I’ll always paint the background a colour before I even draw on it. Usually yellow or pink, which glows through quite nicely. Then, I can leave gaps and negative space.
You also have spent time working for galleries; how did that come about?
Elizabeth. I decided to get into the fine art world. So I spam-mailed loads of galleries to ask if I could intern. One guy who got back to me was Kenny Schachter, an American art dealer and a real character in the art world. He is a critic, curator, and an eccentric and fantastic guy. I went for an interview at his house, the biggest house I’ve ever seen. At the doors were these dog sculptures with flashing red eyes. The artwork in the hallway was insane; this should be in a gallery or museum, a Basquiat, Warhol, and Cy Twombly hung in the toilet. A different world.
We chatted, a kind of interview, and he noticed on my CV I was in a band at the time. At the end of the interview, he said yeah, that’s all great. Can you play that song off YouTube? He chucked a guitar to me and called his kids and mates into the room, and I had to perform an impromptu gig. When I finished, Kenny said that’s great; start Tuesday. So, music is how I got into the art world.
Kenny liked having interesting creative people around. I started playing all the art openings. One time, I played at Rove Gallery on Hoxton Square, and I went on to manage it for a few years. I had no idea what I was doing; I was about 22 then. It was a real learning curve, but amazing.
I remember, we had painted the walls white for a show, but they hadn’t dried in time, and I saw people walking around the room with paint marks on their bums. I pretended I didn’t work there.
He had the most incredible art collection that shaped my taste in art. And it exposed me to the most amazing artists. Instead of just studying the masters, I handled all these pieces directly and met many great artists along the way.
Then, I worked for Michael Hue-Williams at Albion Gallery, which had very similar clients to Kenny. And Nelly Duff Gallery on Columbia Road; I managed for a bit, which was a different vibe, so I could also experience the print world and learn that side of things. I was absorbing everything and learning how to run those businesses, from working with artists to the boring but essential admin stuff. And then, I got to the point where I felt ready to plug my work rather than promote other artists.
Then I took that leap, which coincided with getting pregnant, which helped push me into going freelance and making it happen. I got into the Royal Academy Summer Show in 2018, a launch pad with many commissions coming off the back. It gave me a profile I’ve been riding ever since, and I haven’t looked back.
“I love vibrant colours; I am a colourist. Colour is my priority, and my painting subject is secondary.”
Could you tell us more about your music?
Elizabeth. My whole life, I’ve constantly battled whether I should focus on art and music. From 17, I was in bands in London, trying to escape Surrey to party in that kind of indie sleazy world. By my twenties, I would spend my day working in art galleries, gigging at night, and sometimes going off and touring. My social life was mainly the music world. It went hand in hand; many people from the art world came to the gigs, which was cool.
I was pushing my music career more in my twenties. The art fits in around my life a lot better these days, having kids and being a bit older. Plus, I can make a better living with art. I still do some session work, and I’m just recording a new album with a band. I need music for my soul; it’s not one or the other.
I need the adrenaline of being on stage and getting that angst out by playing loud, noisy guitar music. I’ve done some festivals this summer playing with my friend’s band Los Bitchos. I need that excitement. But then art is excellent; it calms me. Weirdly, when you’re on stage, you are in your own space; you’re not in the thick of the crowd. But yeah, my show-off side is a very different side of my personality.
Art is calm for me; I know my style enough now I don’t have to fight it too much. It’s quite easy. I can enjoy the process. I paint everything the way I want to see it in vibrant colours.
“The bulk of what I’m inspired by is my local surroundings. But for me, painting is escapism and fantasising about calm. I want the viewer to feel that too and for that image to take them to whichever location they imagine or recognise.”
When did you decide to move to St Leonards-on-Sea?
Elizabeth. I had my first child, Cillian, when I was living in London. I was starting to feel that financial squeeze and lack of space. I had wanted to move to St Leonards for years; I’d been in London for a long time, and for music and working in art galleries, it had felt like the only option for a while. But wanting to leave London, I was now a mum and swapping employment with freelance. Many of my friends from the music and art scene in London had already moved this way, and I’d been coming down to visit.
You feel part of a community here; I’ve made more friends over the past three-plus years than I did over 14 years in London. London is so large, and friends are dotted around everywhere. It was pretty lonely during the days, and then I saw friends at gigs and stuff in the evenings. I was paying to live in London but not getting the benefits anymore. I love London again because I now get the best of it as a visitor. I can get the train in and out.
When I get off the train in St Leonards, I can breathe fresh air. I love it here, and I’ve never been more inspired.
I moved here a few months before the first lockdown, which was so fortunate; I would’ve hated to have been stuck in London for that. Living here has calmed me right down. I didn’t realise how anxious I was in London.
I knew Kelly Jessiman (RyeZine No.7) before I moved down; we were friends in London. We share a beach hut, and some of her ceramics appear in my paintings.
I co-founded Babes in Arms with an artist, Annie Mackin, whom I knew from London. It was through a necessity to support each other and make things happen for ourselves, and be stronger together as a collective. Then, through friends and having children, I met many people, like Jazmine Miles-Long (RyeZine No.8). What we can all do together is exciting. We are making things happen for ourselves and being our own solution.
So now I’ve exhibited and curated at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, Hastings Contemporary, Stella Dore Gallery and the Big Yin Gallery. I wouldn’t have been able to do that by myself. Being connected to all these people allowed us to take over these spaces and create something. And the De La Warr Pavilion exhibition was extended repeatedly because it was so popular, which was terrific. It’s great to have that platform.
“I meet so many interesting people here, and I never really have to make plans. I’ll leave the house, bump into someone I know, and then hang with them for a bit.”
I help run a community choir here called She Choir. There are lots all over the country and all over Europe as well. But having that here in Hastings is a perfect way to meet people I wouldn’t necessarily meet in my daily life. There is a large age range; everyone has completely different jobs and backgrounds, just the most amazing people. We’ve been on retreats and just hosted a festival with many other choirs coming.
With the shows I’ve done recently in London, I see that people want to buy a bit of this lifestyle. I did a solo show at 99 Projects, in March and April. The concept around that was Londoners wishing to have that escapism and seaside, which they essentially bought through a painting.
I’ve always wanted to live in a destination. I grew up in a commuter belt, and London was a destination. But here, it also feels like a destination. There’s so much happening; it’s busy enough and exciting. I could happily never leave here. I’m only two roads back from the sea; I look out and walk past it daily. It’s tough not to be inspired by it.
From 2019 to 2021, I did a podcast called The Artfully Podcast with Jessie Hillcox. We did some interviews and reviews and talked about art gossip. I liked presenting and working on that. I’d like to set up a YouTube channel and do more on Instagram, just me interviewing other artists in a studio. It helps the artist get exposure while building up my network.
“I will always be a busy person. I took a month off painting recently; then I filled that time up playing festivals; I’ll always be doing something.
ELIZABETH POWER
Artist + Musician
elizabeth-power.com
Instagram. elizabethpowerart
Instagram. babesinarmsart