Liz Davenport
​Artist/Educator

2013 MA, MFA, University of Iowa
2010 Post-Baccalaureate, Brandeis University
2007 BA, Bridgewater State University

As a child, I was always compelled to create. Today, I’m still driven by that same impulse-often found kneeling on the floor, surrounded by canvas, cardboard, and clay.

I work as a full-time educator and my art practice is closely connected to my teaching. The visual aids, hand-drawn worksheets, signage, and presentations I create all feed into my broader creative process. In my recent painted and constructed works, I am striving to reconnect with a childlike sense of wonder and curiosity while bridging different parts of my identity.

I am deeply curious about nature and the surreal qualities of dreams. I am also inspired by luminous painted worlds and by the potential for movement found in puppets and props. In my work, stylized shapes often echo elements of nature, while strange and abstract forms reflect the excitement of confronting the deeply hidden or unknown. Charged stares appear in shadowed corners and invite the viewer in with soft edges that recall leaves or clouds. Ordinary objects take on a sense of instability as they shift between the realms of the monstrous and the mysterious.