The Female Eye: Spotlight on Elizabeth McGhee

Elizabeth McGhee, Feeder Fish, Oil on Panel, 16” x 20”

Toys are often viewed naively and with innocence, taking us back to a time when we felt that way ourselves. I use nostalgia in my paintings as an emotional tunnel to reconnect the viewer with the creativity and possibility that existed in their own childhood play.

A child uses toys to make sense of the world around them; toys serve an intellectual function for them as well as a cultural one. Children do more than merely "mimic" adults, they also creatively elaborate on otherwise menial everyday tasks. The ability of a child to make a game of almost any situation is a gift many of us have abandoned as we matured.

In our professional society we dread being seen as immature or uninformed. We must act as adults and reject anything that might be seen as childish weakness. We must put away our toys in favor of tools. But I feel that toys are tools for both children and adults, even if they serve different purposes for each. For children, toys allow a safe introduction to the world around them. For adults, toys can serve in the place of abstract concepts, making them more real and relatable.