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Liz Harvey
MG: When does your working day start and end? LH: The day always starts early at the studio. I check in with work in progress, reviewing plans and pieces (I often have several pieces of work on the go at once as I tend to work in series), or prepare to teach. I run courses from my studio and have regular groups, which I find really rewarding. I do make sure I carve out plenty of painting time as well though. The day ends late, with more painting, planning and drawing. MG: What is your favourite kind of day as an artist? LH: Bright, crisp days at the studio are an absolute delight. My studio is in a beautiful area between Grewelthorpe and Mickley, surrounded by farmland, with extensive views, so just getting there and being surrounded by the space and light is inspiring. The best days are the days when paintings are underway and the ideas are bubbling. I often work in series on a specific theme or place. This allows me to explore ideas in depth so my favourite days definitely include both working on sustained oil paintings and emerging mixed media sketches which form the starting points of my work. There is always a good supply of morning coffee and afternoon tea on my favourite days too! MG: What marks a successful day? LH: Any day which involves painting or drawing. MG: How does the place you work influence you if at all? LH: There is plenty of light and space in my studio and incredible views, so these have a huge influence on my work. My studio is also a teaching space where I lead courses and workshops. It has been essential that I have my own dedicated working space within the studio. I think this was the biggest factor in my development as an artist whilst I worked full time. Initially that place was a table in a spare room - and that was enough to convince me I wanted to just keep creating more art. Moving into my current studio and now working as an artist full time, has had the most incredible impact on how I work, the scale at which I can work and the way I work, often with multiple paintings being produced at the same time.  Liz Harvey's spacious studio MG: Who are your biggest artistic influences? LH: They are many and varied, and have definitely changed throughout my artistic journey as I have moved from pure abstraction into abstractions from observations. Robert Ryman, Richard Diebenkorn and David Hockney have all had an impact on how I approach my work. But there are many others I look to as well - often for different reasons. I think it is important to look at the work of others. I studied History of Art alongside Fine Art at university so I am fascinated by artists’ work and it is using their ideas to inform my work, not working in their styles, that is most important to me. MG: Where do you find inspiration? LH: Since moving to Yorkshire a couple of years ago, my inspiration is all around me! I am really enjoying finding new places and spaces to explore and investigate. The local landscapes around the studio provide much of the influence for my current work - the places where I spend time . I teach at Old Sleningford Hall and the opportunity to work in the gardens there has had a huge impact on my work. They are so beautiful and inspiring. MG: When is your favourite time of day to create? LH: Mornings / afternoons - don’t mind really just as long as I have time. With tutoring commitments, I need to be flexible and I am pretty good at finding the time! MG: How do you define success as an artist? LH: Success for me is in the creating of works that both challenge and find resolution. There is a wonderful satisfaction in creating an artwork that feels balanced and complete - I love that moment when it just all comes together. For me success as an artist is being one - that is enough. It is a huge privilege to spend my time creating, making and sharing my art - that is success. MG: Does art help you in other areas of your life? LH: It fuels me - it genuinely makes everyday better and is essential to my own wellbeing. This impacts how I can deal with other aspects of life. I have recognised how calm and happy I am since moving to Yorkshire and working full time as an artist following a long and happy teaching career. Art brings me calmness and joy - that helps in so many ways.  Liz's light-filled studio MG: Do you have the opportunity to mentor or share your skills with young or new artists? LH: I trained as an art teacher and worked in schools in the UK and internationally for nearly 30 years as an art teacher, head of art and director of art. It was a joy to teach so many young people throughout my career and to make sure art was an essential part of education of my students. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching in schools but just wanted more time for my own work so moved up to Yorkshire and established my studio - which is very much a teaching studio. I now teach adults and that has been a revelation, in terms of how much I genuinely love teaching them. My approach is very much about personal tuition and guidance and helping people find their artistic voice and realise their intentions. I am also passionate about helping people develop an understanding of how to create meaningful works of art and how the process is the most important part of the journey, enabling them to think and make decisions about their work.  Thank you very much for sharing your work life with us Liz.
You can check out Liz’s working our summer exhibition, A Particular Place.
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Josie BeszantHello! welcome to the once a month (hopefully!) blog about reflections on running Masham Gallery and what it means from a personal perspective. I hope to get some guest bloggers in at a later date too. All feedback is welcome, thanks. Archives
August 2025
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