E LIZABETH CHECHE

ELIZABETH CHECHE SURREALISM IN PORTRAITURE Finnigan’s Boat Ride

All of your paintings depict images of the ‘female’ icon. How do you relate to them and what do they share?

Elizabeth Cheche: Everything I paint is a self-portrait in one way or another, also, there is a surrealist narrative within each painting, and a stage-like setting as well. I love the theatrics of a stage! I would say this is what ties them all together. My stories unfold in so many ways, a lot of my ideas come when I’m out walking my dogs in nature, but also from dreams, experiences I’ve had, and ideas that come from my subconscious. The best ideas come when I’m not looking! Other qualities that each painting shares, is a feeling of isolation or loneliness, I’m not sure how obvious this is, but I see it. What drives me as an artist is the unknown. When I begin a painting, the empty board feels terrifying, creating a feeling of vulnerability within and it will affect my emotions for days until I figure out the direction of my composition, but I love the chaos in this dance.

Interview by Harryet Candee

painting?

I love glazing and scumbling which I do after I have applied many layers of paint as a base to create a foundation for the composition. After glazing and scumbling, I apply more paint using tiny sable brushes, leaving the small brush strokes on the surface of the painting to help create an intimate affect. I use oil paints, and the brand that I love is Holbein, a Japanese paint.

Do you paint every day?

I try, but sometimes life gets in the way. When I’m not painting, there is always a part of my brain that is thinking creatively, like ways to implement new ideas into interesting compositions, or problem solving on a painting in progress. What is the painting Things We Don’t Say about? See this art work and others mentioned in this interview but not shown on here website:

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I couldn’t help but let my imagine wander and conjure up my own “living thing” lurking in the shadows. “Things We Don’t Say” is one of my favorite paintings! I love painting interiors that have a message within. This painting is about relationships and the space between words and thoughts that are not realized, causing a great deal of misunderstandings in relationships.

“What We Found In Wonderland” is one of my favorite paintings! Can you tell us about it?

I love this one too, thank you! I thought it would be fun to do a circus themed painting with all women, engaged in various activities. This painting came about when I was at my home in the White Mountains. It is primarily surrounded by forest and I thought I’d create a landscape that feels like an isolated forest with an all-female circus underway.

Elizabeth, please tell us a little about your background?

I studied interior design and art history in college but I always wanted to be a painter. I chose not to study painting though, because I didn’t want any

What we Found In Wonderland Elizabeth Cheche

outside influence to affect my style, so I taught myself to paint at the age of sixteen. My parents were intellectuals, and they were very liberal in their belief systems, which allowed me to live a life without the thought of limitations. I am grateful for this!

Tell us about where you live your life now. Who might be your best friend?

We have two homes, both in Arizona, one in the White Mountains and one in Rio Verde. We are surrounded by nature and wildlife at each, both supplying us with beauty and inspiration that nurtures our creativity. My boyfriend is a nature photographerand my best friend.

Tell us what other talents you possess?

I love interior design, and also health and fitness, though I’m not sure that the later falls into a talent category, but it’s a huge part of my life.

Art making can be quiet an investment! Do you have side jobs?

I do not have a side job now, thankfully! When I was younger, I had a variety of side jobs including; illustrator, waitress, and I even owned an art gallery for a number of years. Each job was a wonderful experience!

You must have had a mentor in your life to help boost your appreciation for art, who might this be?

My father was an avid art collector, so I grew up surrounded by beautiful paintings. I remember being very young and just staring at them, internalizing the beauty and trying to figure out how the artists did what they did. I think looking at my dad’s collection, all those years, sealed my fate to be a painter!

Do you follow other artists living or passed? Who and why?

Yes, I have a few that inspire me. They include the female surrealists from the 1940’s: Leonora Carrington, Leonor Fini and Dorthea Tanning, but also the surrealist painter Philip Curtis. I have always been drawn to surrealism. There is magic in it!

I think you probably enjoy going to your own art openings. Who doesn’t? What’s that like for you?

I enjoy my art openings. They give me a nice perspective on how people view my work. I had a funny experience once, not long ago, when one of my collectors was looking at a painting on the wall and commented that he really liked it. I asked him if he noticed that the woman in the painting didn’t have arms (she was part of my Miss America series), he was surprised that he didn’t notice this, and it made me wonder what people actually see when they look at art.

THE ARTFUL MIND JUNE 2020 • 27

What have you observed around you that has had a direct effect on your thinking about life?

Two things have influenced my life directly, one of them was growing up in the sixties when people had larger families and women tended to stay home to take care of them. I remember feeling early on that this would not be the life I wanted, especially having children. The other experience Continued on next page...

Elizabeth Cheche

Santo Sacrificio

that taught me well, was having had a series of jobs where I had a boss. I inherently knew that I wanted to work for myself and being a painter fit that goal nicely.

As far as worldly events go for us at the moment, with Corona virus, how do you imagine the outcome will be down the line for you and other artists?

Yes, this situation is a sad state of affairs for many, but strangely, my life hasn’t changed at all. I think most painters find that self-isolation is necessary to do great work. It is for me, anyway. Creative people seem to weather storms well. I think it’s always been that way, historically speaking.

28 • JUNE 2020 THE ARTFUL MIND

The realism of your work shows skill, Elizabeth. Rendering with oil is like a gift. I was wondering, have you worked much in other mediums, such as pastel, or watercolor? Have you spent time pencil rendering?

Yes, it is a gift, and one of the hardest mediums to master, which is why I love it so much! I worked in pencil, as a child, and I remember really enjoying it. I tried drawing everything imaginable, and then I discovered Prisma colored pencils. They were challenging, but fun. I longed to work in color, so I started teaching myself to paint in oil when I was 16 and it’s been my favorite medium since.

What part of making art is still challenging for you? In what ways? What is involved in this challenge to achieve satisfying results?

My work is constantly evolving, which is my driving force. When things get too easy, I know it’s time to change directions. As an example, early on I didn’t paint nature into my figurative work because I had no idea how to implement that. Now I love creating lush landscapes within my compositions, but not realistic ones, that was never my goal and like my figurative work my desire is a stylized version of reality.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not in your studio painting?

I love health and fitness, it’s a huge part of my life. I also love reading and learning about everything. I power through two books a week. I love spending time with my boyfriend and like me, he is a creative person. We share ideas with one another along four dogs who are the keeper of our hearts. We love spending time with them, walking through the wilderness preserves near our homes.

Can you read faces? Do you get vibes whether they should be around you or not? We as artists are so intuitive.

Absolutely! I get a feeling in my gut from an energy the other person is creating. I can even feel it on social media when someone wants to be my friend. Thankfully, most people I meet give me a positive feeling.

How do you see yourself as you get older and being female? Have you any paintings that illustrate this subject?

I like getting older, and I value all of the experiences that I’ve had along the way. The lessons learned have made me who I am. What I don’t like about getting older, is the feeling that time is moving exponentially. I want to hang on to every moment. One of the paintings that I’m working on now is called “Like So Much Lost Time”, and like all my paintings, it’s a self-portrait filled with mystery and beauty, but also sadness. Hence the title, “Like So Much Lost Time”. I can’t give the imagery of the painting away yet, it’s a secret, yet to unfold.

If you were given a show at the Louvre, which five paintings would you choose to show and

Elizabeth Cheche

The Memory of Trees

why? Who would be the curator?

I would choose these five, because they are some of my favorites. “What We Saw When No One Was Looking”,”The Memory of Trees”, “Keeper Of My Heart”, “What We Found In Wonderland” and “Santo Sacrificio”. I would have Sharon Fannin curate my show. She is an interior designer who has collected twenty-three of my paintings over the last two decades and is obviously passionate about my work.

Have you travelled much?

I’ve been lucky to have traveled to places in Europe, and South and Latin America. The places that inspired me the most were the ones filled with nature and beautiful landscapes, places that I could hike and explore, like Saba or Costa Rica.

If you were to have to jump out of a plane, who would you take with you, and where would you want to safely land? What would you have to have at your landing point?

Oh, that’s easy! My dog Chewy. She is the ruler of my world! We would land in a lush meadow, near a stream, surrounded by beauty and wildlife. I would need to have my art supplies and lots of books to read, as provisions, and maybe my Vitamix Blender, too.

You give the world such beautiful art. I hope this will continue for a life-time. What do you wish for in your life time to happen for you? What are you driven to work towards attaining?

Thank you for the wonderful compliment!!! I would love to live a few lifetimes, literally! I have so many paintings in the drawing stage, files of them, and each one can take many months to complete. I try to stay extremely fit and healthy, as part of my goal to live a long and meaningful life, and to accomplish as many paintings as I can. As far as attaining goals, I’ve been fortunate to make a good living painting, but my true goal is to have fun doing so! Thank you, Elizabeth

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