My work begs to be touched. The tactile feel of silk and the unexpected magic that happens when a brush filled with dye touches silk is mesmerizing. Making wearables where the silk remains soft and flowing or wall art where the silk is varnished on to canvas both allow me to explore different silk weights and weaves, silk dyes and paints, resist techniques, and mixed textile processes. My analytical inquisitive nature shapes my process, balancing careful planning with an openness to the unexpected ways dye flows across silk. My goal is to create work that explores color, translucency, geometry, and the rhythms of nature through enlarged botanical imagery and the complexity of the natural world. Painting on silk is the medium that brought together my love of tactile fibers, the impact of textile history, my love of nature and wandering in beautiful gardens. I am continually drawn to silks’ luminosity, fluidity, and luxurious hand. Come by my studio at Marshall Muse Gallery in Greensboro, NC and touch.
About
Elizabeth is a Greensboro, North Carolina–based silk painter and textile artist whose work explores the luminous qualities of hand-painted silk through dye, resist techniques, and mixed textile processes.
Her journey to silk painting began with garment construction and evolved into quilting, where she created several award-winning quilts in the 1990s. Around 2012, silk became her ideal medium, uniting her love of tactile fibers, textile history, and the natural world. Its fluidity, translucence, and responsiveness continue to inspire an ongoing exploration of color, movement, and form.
A self-taught artist with an analytical mindset, Elizabeth refined her craft through workshops with master silk painters, graphic artists, and botanical illustrators, complemented by extensive independent study. Her process is both meditative and intentional, balancing careful planning with the spontaneity that emerges as dye moves across silk. Botanical subjects, geometric elements, and abstract compositions reflect her fascination with nature, pattern, and light.
Elizabeth’s work is exhibited at Marshall Muse Gallery in Greensboro, NC where she is an in-house artist. Her hand-painted silk scarves and wall art are enjoyed by collectors, friends, and clients alike. She is currently developing a new body of silk wall pieces and wearable art inspired by recent travels, exploring the interplay of color, translucency, geometry, and natural forms. She has future plans to share her passion for the medium through silk-painting workshops.