IN SEARCH OF BEAUTY

On this week’s show – “In Search Of Beauty” my guest is abstract artist Liz Leggett. Liz Leggett’s art has been exhibited nationally and internationally and she has participated in artist-in-residence programs in Israel, Spain, Nova Scotia and most recently at the Weir Farm in Wilton, CT.

Liz describes her painting as predominantly process-oriented and her canvases serve her as an arena for speed, tension, deconstruction, rebuilding and grappling with expectations of conformity and control. For all of those reasons, I am anxious to talk to Liz!

David starts the show by playing a piece of music that he believes represents visual beauty. David talks about remembering a moment where he saw something so beautiful that he aimed to search for beauty in life every single day. He then goes into how beauty is defined, saying that there is no standard definition for it. David references an intricate base molding he posted on his instagram, and describes this hidden treasure and how it shows the beauty in looking for these kinds of pieces of art. Another example that David mentions are the back alley theaters in Broadway and that they represent that beauty can be anywhere. We should appreciate these things and what makes them beautiful.

David introduces Liz Lagett as she explains what her interpretation of beauty is. Liz states that in order to find out what beauty is we must ask ourselves “What is ugly in the world,” and then look at the opposite. Liz defines beauty as harmony, tolerance and love and aims to put these on her canvas. David explains how that relates to interior design and that he starts off by finding out what his clients don’t like. Liz then goes into the design of her home, describing the older model, the wood floors and the tons of paintings. She especially loves the landscape in her backyard and how this allows her to feel immersed with nature. 

Liz transitions to talking about her own work, and how she ultimately aims to create something beautiful and to celebrate the act of painting. Liz takes risk when she’s painting, which she describes as chaotic accidents. This style of painting allows the piece to tell her where her to go as she progresses. Liz then talks about what inspires her which includes nature and any emotions she’s having. As an abstract artist, Liz is constantly trying to break out of the mold of traditional styles of painting, but at times still feels confined. She’s inspired by artists across the world and this gives her new ideas and approaches to her work. David compares Liz’s art to musician Leonard Bernstein, in that they both layer and build within their work.

You can find more of Liz @lizleggett on Instagram and at Lizleggett.com. Focusing on different interior work at home Liz finds she likes vibrant colors featuring greens and hot pinks very often. The contrast to the white walls is appreciated. Liz plays with an elevated sense of color combination and color harmony. She feels that sometimes she needs to dial it back, but time and time again fails to the allure of joyous, over the top colors. Her process is both based on emotions felt as well as a search for new and interesting concepts. Liz’s art is unpracticed and untested. She will often test colors on a whim for the sheer joy of painting.

Liz and David takes on questions from the listeners. Liz considers herself an abstract artist because she takes on subjects that are important to her like energy, having emotions and being open minded. She doesn’t like to dictate the audience because she wants them to be engaged and create their own interpretation of her artwork. David takes on a question about interior design and he says that collectivism is the closest thing to abstract design. He likes to design for his clients and wants them to have their own style. To find Liz’s artwork you can find it in Connecticut, on her website   Lizleggett.com and even on her Instagram @lizleggett.