Elizabeth Elkin is a Canadian artist with over 40 years of experience. She started her art career after completing her university and mentorship journey in fine art and initially having undertaken a graphic design role in print media, in which she stayed for some years. But true creativity was her calling. She left the nine-to-five to become a full-time artist and has not looked back. With her oil paint, brushes and palette knife, she has continuously evolved her style and reinvented herself as an artist. Her work can be found in private collections across the world, from Montreal to Hong Kong. Elizabeth loves bright colours and her mesmerizing pieces speak for themselves. She channels her passion for art in every stroke — her aim to share the beauty that she sees in the world with others. Whether in portraying the beauty of the Canadian wilderness or the historic charm of Old Quebec City, Elizabeth always puts a piece of her heart into each one of her works. An avid supporter of the Montreal art scene, you can always find her at various exhibitions. When she’s not painting or sketching, Elizabeth enjoys gardening, going on walking tours, and spending time with her family.
-Written by Elizabeth’s daughter
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Which ’hood are you in?
I currently live in the South Shore of Montreal, Candiac, Quebec. My art studio is based in my home. I have a beautiful studio with big windows facing to the backyard and green space; I have an amazing view of nature all year round.
What do you do?
I’m a painter and I create vibrant, expressive, and often abstraction paintings that draw inspiration from the world around me. My work is characterized by the bold and dynamic use of pure colours, which I employ to evoke a deeper emotional resonance and energy within each piece.
I primarily work with oil and acrylic paints, frequently utilizing a palette knife (impasto technique) to build rich textures and add a sculptural quality to the surface. This technique allows for a spontaneity and directness that is central to my artistic voice. My subjects vary, ranging from landscapes and cityscapes – capturing the essence of places from the natural beauty of Canada to the architectural marvels of European cities– to abstract compositions that explore form, colour, and movement.
What are you currently working on?
Right now, I’m particularly drawn to reinterpreting landscapes and cityscapes through an expressionistic lens. This means I'm not merely replicating what I see, but rather capturing the feeling and atmosphere of a place.
While landscapes and cityscapes are my starting points, I’m increasingly allowing the imagery to dissolve into pure abstraction, where lines, shapes, and colours take on their own narrative. This process is about distilling the essence of a place or a memory into its most fundamental visual components, allowing for a more universal and emotional connection.
Where can we find your work?
My work can be found in several places, both online and in physical collections around the world.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Artists in Montreal | Elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists
