Elizabeth Craumer

My original influence was my mother who was always working on some kind of creative project.  Whether it was painting, sculpting or refinishing furniture, there was always something being created in our house.

I took private art lessons as a young teenager and participated in local art shows.  I received a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD.  As an undergraduate, one of my favorite areas of study was lithography.  Making limited-color lithograph prints helped clarify how values create form.  I later earned an M.S. in Art Education so that I could share my passion with others. 

Since moving to New Hampshire a few years ago, I have been inspired by the uniquely beautiful landscapes around me to create colorful pastel pieces.  I have learned a lot by painting outdoors with the NH Plein Air group and becoming totally immersed in that environment.  One is forced to make quick, bold decisions because the light is always changing.  Working from photographs provides me the artistic opportunity to select the lighting as well as the season.  They give me a little more freedom to experiment with the color of the landscape.  I have also recently discovered that flowers catch incredible light.

I hope my techniques and use of color translates my love of nature to you, the viewer.  Please enjoy my impressions of the New England landscapes.

**Gallery note—Betsy Craumer’s family owned and ran the original Groton Inn from 1906—1939.  She has a pastel painting in this new exhibit of that Inn in the 1920s.