Elizabeth Ganji Works

Elizabeth Ganji

I am a self-taught artist residing in beautiful southwest Washington. I paint in snippets of the day so as not to impede on my other passion: being a wife and mother of two boys and one girl. Most days, the painting happens when everyone is still tucked snugly in bed, in those dark early morning hours. When my days begin with art, I am better equipped to put my all into what the day has in store.

I feel blessed to have sprouted from a family brimming with artists and creatives. It was the concurrence of their influence and that of my mother (also an artist) whose encouragement inspired me to pursue art seriously. I am thankful for it each and every day!

The beauty encompassing us in nature, animals and people energizes me. It is this beauty that excites me and gives me the not-so-gentle nudge to pick up a paint brush or pastel stick and express the experience from my individual perspective. My intention in painting is not to execute a picture perfect duplicate of what I see in nature, but instead to pick out what it was about the subject that generated a spark inside me, and attempt to paint the essence of that spark. I like my work to feel chaotic and raw when the viewer stands close and for the piece to slowly start taking shape as the viewer withdraws. As I am continually reminded in this life, sometimes it is hard to visualize the true picture for what it is as a whole when we are too close. It is when we have the ability to step back and let go that things come to fruition.

Of all that excites me in life, I feel like I've only scratched the surface of the diverse subjects I'd like to paint. You can expect plenty more twists and turns from me in the future as I explore in paint those subjects and plays of light that tend to endlessly tug at my heartstrings. 

I am a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and an associate member of the Pastel Society of the West Coast.