Collection: Elizabeth Lennie

Elizabeth Lennie, residing in mid-town Toronto, Canada, finds that water has played a pivotal role in the significant moments of her life. The radiant memories of swimming in the liquid landscapes of northern Ontario and the aqua waters of the Caribbean influence the images she chooses to paint. Using oil paint on canvas, Elizabeth layers thin washes with thicker impasto, occasionally working on wood panel and integrating cold wax and graphite into her artworks.

Her paintings often feature figurative images that delve into the memory myth of summer and reflect the dual reality of Canada's hot and cold climate. These paintings serve as a map of Elizabeth's world, blending abstract and narrative elements. She searches for archetypes to explore notions of self and community, resonating with shared memories. Elizabeth is driven by the illusion of past, present, and future, which compels her to repeatedly paint the same image, seeking an entry point into the subconscious. Occasionally, she scratches notes into the paint as symbols to guide her work forward.

Through her signature soft-focus style, Elizabeth isolates and extracts vibrant colors, evoking a utopian childhood that recalls shared experiences on earth. Her paintings are collected internationally and have found homes in prestigious collections, including the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame and the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital.