Liz Lesperance - Fine Artist

Liz Lesperance was born in Southern Ontario, Canada. Although she grew up in the city, she spent all her spare time exploring the countryside, preferably on horseback. She was horse crazy from a young age and earned money by painting portraits of them for their owners. She went on to study illustration in college and worked for six years for a graphic design firm. During that time while she was still painting commissions, a wildlife gallery discovered her talent. They asked her to display her work with them and her paintings sold immediately. Soon, she was able to devote all her time to fine art.

For the next 13 years she painted wildlife exclusively and traveled throughout Canada, the United States and Africa researching her subjects. She has always painted from her own reference and believes you have to see the animal in it's habitat to capture the essence.

Limited Edition Reproductions of her work were made and were in high demand.

Although she enjoyed great success from her print sales, her development as an artist began to take her in a new direction. By the mid nineties Liz had left the print market to devote her attention to painting original work only. A move to California in 1996 made it possible to spend much of her time painting outdoors. Her home in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains surrounded by rolling hills, woodland oak and abundant wildlife are all of great interest to paint. She also keeps her horses nearby where she practices painting them from life. Her technique evolved as she spent time studying painting with several prominent artists in the United States.

She considers the change from painting from photographs to painting from life a major turning point in her growth as an artist.

Although her larger pieces are still done in the studio, the knowledge gained from working in the field gives her work that element of truth.

Liz has been a member of the Society of Animal Artists for over ten years and her work is often traveling the country in their annual exhibitions.

She has exhibited at the Bennington Center for the Arts in Vermont, the Hiram Blauvelt Museum in New Jersey, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin and with the American Academy of Equine Artists in Kentucky. Enthusiastic about her development as an artist, Liz continues to paint the wild and domestic animals in the landscape around her. "I am forever grateful that I am able to express how I feel about the world in the painted images I do".