Elizabeth Cleary has lived in Vermont since she was a young child.
She grew up taking private and group art lessons from a local artist. Elizabeth went on to attend the University of Vermont, from where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. Her main interest is painting; she uses both oils and acrylics.

Elizabeth’s most recent paintings explore a somewhat voyeuristic theme. The viewer is made to feel as if they are looking in on a private moment in the life of a stranger. The concept was inspired by looking at homes lit up at night. To catch a glimpse of other people’s lives and to see them eating dinner, or watching TV, and to imagine for just a second that you, the viewer are a part of that life has always been intriguing to the artist. Further pieces were taken to the next level inside the home, or at a private gathering. In some pieces the viewer seems to be recognized as a part of the scene with eye contact from one of the subjects.

Much of the other work shown is student work, in which the artist does not have as much freedom in terms of subject matter. However, these pieces allowed Elizabeth to develop techniques that continue to be displayed in current pieces. These techniques include using strong senses of lighting and color, so much so that they have as much importance to the painting as the main subject matter. Most of Elizabeth’s work tends to be highly representational, however, she also enjoys the feel of a loose style as evidence of the process. This is accomplished by using large brushes, and using less detail in some areas of the painting, while playing up other areas with more detail.