Liz Conrad
freelance graphic design and illustration in Dallas since 1978
214.773.6508
lizcg@sbcglobal.net
CLICK here for art sampler
Aviation has always been a part of my life.
My father was an Army Air Core pilot and flight instructor.
Our family spent countless hours at airfields and in hangars that smelled of creosote-soaking parts-an aroma that I still savor.
All that exposure to ailerons and propellers- rudders and struts played a small part in my fascination with the structural beauty of birds and flying machines.
In early 2011 I started creating collages that became the Lace Wing Stamp Collection.
This series grew out of my combined love of vintage lace, a fascination with nature's winged creatures and the nostalgic beauty of postal stamp artwork.
These mixed media pieces start with a highly textured color field of acrylic on canvas or paper.
I collage insect and bird shapes cut from paper and then use scraps of lace from my maternal grandmother's lace collection to mimic the pattern of dragon fly wings and "texturize" bird anatomy.
I add real feathers-found on neighborhood walks and given to me by friends.
Additional collage elements, painted passages, and Prismacolor pencil provide more detail.
Last to go down are the stamps which complement the work both in color and theme.
Moving from birds to aircraft was a natural progression for me.
My entry into the 2012 Royal Lane Baptist Church featured images of a WWII bomber and a dove that depicted the theme
-"For All Things There Is a Season"
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
My collage, "War and Peace" received recognition for best theme interpretation.
This new series, of the air, is in its early stages as it challenges me to incorporate mechanical elements into organic settings.
The introduction of war time postage stamps will play a significant role in these works.
Stamps serve me as both collage elements and commentary.
