Sunday, December 6, 2015 – 1:30-3:30 pm

Elizabeth Gregory is the featured artist in December.  The public is invited to the opening reception on December 6 to meet the artist and view her beautiful and varied art work.  Admission is free.

The exhibit comprises watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media paintings.  Her work will be on exhibit through December 30, 2015.

Known as Beth to family and friends and as Elizabeth professionally, the artist claimed Liz when she signed her first painting.  She did not study art in school and never considered art as an option until her Mother started painting at retirement. It started with a book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. The author, Betty Edwards, writes that creativity is taught out of us.  “We stop trusting our inner creativity because parents, teachers and others tell us, ‘You can’t have a red sky, or a purple horse.’ But art is not about being right or about following rules. It is about allowing yourself to express.  I do not see myself as a ‘professional artist’.  However, I am an artist.”

Liz has taken classes in watercolor from Becky Wallace of Murphy, North Carolina and Gayle Jones in Birmingham, AL.  “They have taught me wonderful techniques and steps to follow to get the desired effect. They have encouraged my feeble attempts. In 2015, I joined a new group that was started to encourage local artists, The Leeds Area Visual Artists (LAVA). Through classes and learning from others, I started seeing the interplay of color and shadows I once failed to notice. I now see beauty that escaped me before.  Learning how to make art is a growth process of becoming more aware…of life. Creativity is really about setting your inner self free.”

The Arts Center is located at 8140 Parkway Drive, in downtown Leeds.
The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.  and during events.  In case of inclement weather, call the center to confirm opening hours.