Visual Arts

Elisabeth graduated from the Alberta ­College of Art in Calgary. After a career in graphic design, she joined Malaspina ­Printmakers Society and learned the art of traditional stone lithography. Over the next 20 years, Elisabeth became well known for her realistic renderings of wildlife and birds. Her skill and artistry continued with egg tempera paintings and now with coloured pencils, a medium particularly suited to her meticulous style of drawing.

Elisabeth attained SFCA Signature Status with the Federation of Canadian Artists and is an Elected Member of the Society of ­Canadian Artists and a Signature Member of Artists for ­Conservation. Her work is in ­collections in Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, ­Mexico and the U.S.A.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF STONE LITHOGRAPHY
Stone lithography is based on the principle that oil repels water. The image is drawn onto a flat litho stone using anything with grease content, such as grease pencils. The surface is then “etched” which stabilizes the drawing.
The stone is placed on the bed of a lithography press and sponged with water. A roller coated with oil-based ink is rolled over the stone. The ink adheres only to the greasy image and is repelled by the damp areas which have no image.
The paper is positioned on the stone and passed through a lithographic press under great pressure, and the ink is transferred from the stone onto the paper. Each colour must be printed separately, one colour over the other, so care must be taken that each colour is registered.
It is a painstaking method and few artists today are using it.

If you wish to purchase any of the artworks, please contact the artist:

sommerville@telus.net
Telephone 604-732-1937 or 778-873-7774
www.elisabethsommerville.com