Magnet - Cows by Liz Quebe
This is a reproduction of an original oil painting by Lisbeth Quebe of Rochester, Minnesota.
Printed on canvas with archival inks and mounted on a piece of wood cut by her husband, Jerry.
Size: 2.5" x 2.5"
Liz has loved drawing since she first picked up a crayon. As a child, she took oil painting classes from a neighbor in her home town of Decatur, Illinois, and went on to major in fine art at the University of Colorado. Her career in marketing and communications for the architectural industry offered creative opportunities in writing and graphic design, but left no time for drawing and painting. When she retired and moved to Soldiers Grove, WI from Chicago, IL in 2002, Liz picked up a brush for the first time in 35 years.
Liz is fortunate to be married to a talented woodworker. Her husband Jerry crafts many of the natural wood frames that set off her paintings. Liz and Jerry were deeply involved with the Driftless Area Art Festival since its inception in 2005, and served as co-chairs until 2017.
"I first painted still lifes and continue to enjoy creating them. I like to incorporate items that resonate with people because of the subjects and the memories they prompt. I use many family heirlooms in my work--grandmother's linens, great--grandmother's vases, grandfather's pocket watch, mother's dolls, father's old tools. Scenes from the kitchen or newly picked flowers are a universal pleasure I like to catch on canvas.
When I retired I began to painting en plein air; the rolling hills of the Driftless Area, the creeks and streams, and the iconic family farms offer countless opportunities for painting. The quickly changing light, the many shades of green in spring and summer, the rich hues of fall and the harvest all draw me outdoors, alone or with other painters intent on capturing a small part of this special area. I also paint landscapes in my studio.
My latest interest is painting animals, especially cows. Living in an area with small family dairy farms, subjects are not hard to find. My husband is the photographer, I use his images as the basis for my paintings. I strive to capture not only the likeness of the animal, but a little personality too.
