ELIZABETH WINNEL
@elizabethwinnel
elizabethwinnel.com
What is your artist statement?
My work is an exploration of sexuality, gender, and assignments. I continue to be curious and have questions about social roles associated with gender and how bodies are presented as sexual objects, as sites to look at and upon.
What are your inspirations?
Inspiration of my work has come from my personal experience, struggles, my questions, my joys, my sorrows, my journey as a human. My friends and community inspire me to dig in and explore the topics above. They share their experiences, thoughts, stories, and memories of their own sexuality and how gender roles and social norms have affected their lives.
What does your work process look like?
My process normally stems from events in the media, my personal life, my friends, my family, culture and society. Something will peak my interest leading to inquiry I have of topic. I might not fully understand the topic, but I will challenge myself to understand it from a different perspective. I often engage in research, read, watch films or documentaries. I talk to others within a network that is safe and comfortable with conversations. I spend a lot of time reflecting on the events. Eventually, I find a creative project begins to emerge visually in my mind, which I might sketch out and keep on a post-it note as a prompt to develop further. Once I’ve settled on an idea, I take photographs as reference and develop the images digitally in Photoshop or Procreate. I always get feedback from my husband, Martin Wittfooth, and close artist friends at this point. I ask what they think of an idea in its current state of development and its intended outcome. After I consider their reviews, I normally get to work on painting, mixing palettes of color specific to each painting. I don’t often start the application process with a traditional underpinnings as many painters do. Instead, I often directly apply color and develop the painting in several full color layers. There may be four or five passes of color, including glazing layers. I’ll stop when I feel I have satisfactorily developed areas of detail and finessed little twinkly areas as I like.
If tomorrow was the end of the world, what would you do today?
If the world ended tomorrow, I would go home to see my parents with my husband and our pets. I would want to spend my last hours with my family and furry animals. We could have a simple dinner, spend time in the garden, and have good conversation. That would be ideal.
What are the top 10 tracks on your recent playlist?
“Buttercup” by Jack Stauber
“The World Retreats” by David O’Dowda
“Apocalypse” by Cigarettes after Sex
“Real Life” by Tanlines
“Redbone” by Childish Gambino
“Somebody Else” by The 1975
“The Nightshift” by The Commodores
“Policy of Trust” by Tanlines
“ Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
“Your Song” by Elton John
