Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Orleans. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Elizabeth, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
When I was four years old, my mother would bring me with her to Drexel University while she was getting her masters degree in Interior Architectural Design. I had to find ways to entertain myself and that’s when I began making things. I was placed in art talented classes in middle school but I didn’t like being told how to create, so I started doing crafts on my own instead. Four years later I took my first art class at Tulane University in New Orleans to fulfill a requirement. Glass blowing was my first love, but I took a variety of different art classes which led me to ceramics. That freshman year was one of life’s rare moments when a lightbulb went off in my head! I was only eighteen but that aspect of my life just made sense! Shapes would become my language. I continued studying art for ten years which led to a masters degree and I have been teaching since I left Tulane. I think art is important on many levels because it is not only visually stimulating but also informative and cerebral. As an artist we strive to help others think and see the world from new perspectives.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I moved to Venice Beach in 2007. I loved the quality of light, living by the beach and the open-minded attitude. After ten months I found a space in an old Coca-Cola warehouse which is still my art studio today. It has allowed me to create extensive bodies of work both for commissions and shows in galleries and museums. The past four years I produced a colorful series called Circus Ceremony which is very different from the white and monochromatic artwork I had created for the past eighteen years. Currently I’ve been working on a new website ElizabethOrleans.com and a brand new series of art I am very excited about!
Ceramic Social is a small art school I started at my studio six years ago. It allows me to reach out beyond my solitary art practice and invite others to come have fun, mingle and make art once a week. The classes are a great way to meet people in the neighborhood and build community. We also offer private parties and team building events. We have workshops coming up and hope some of you can join us soon! Sign up is at CeramicSocialVenice.com
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Life is certainly a journey. I believe that being able to identify and define tasks is a necessary skill for moving towards any goal. It is crucial to complete the tasks you set up for yourself, but to also go beyond what is satisfactory to get extraordinary results. Following through is an important part of development.
Art school can be a fantastic place to learn new things, but it is also a place to create different types of art and take risks. It can offer the time, space and materials to figure out your own creative practice. Besides school, a mentor can also help you grow and learn in different ways.
I am an Aries so my zodiac symbol is the ram and element is fire. We can be stubborn and unstoppable because we are passionate. As an artist I have a vision and follow my intuition to the end of the earth. Imagining how you want something to turn out and following your gut is key.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client offers me a beautiful space and a budget to create an architectural intervention. I have worked with museum directors and art dealers who have gotten me installation projects such as my Internal View show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santa Rosa, CA. I was given a stipend and a space for an installation which I used to create thousands of elements that people could walk through. I have recreated this piece many times and was commissioned to do a permanent version of it in a beautiful residence in Brentwood, CA. Each time the piece takes on a new form to fit its new home. I would like to work more with architects and builders to install my art inside walls and make pieces that are a permanent part of the space. Public art also intrigues me as I like the concept of the viewer getting to experience something visually unexpected in their everyday lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: ElizabethOrleans.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethorleansart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethorleansart/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethorleans9686
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/elizabeth-orleans-studio-venice
- Other: CeramicSocialVenice.com
Image Credits
Elizabeth Orleans – Alex Fauver 1 Internal View – Scott McCue 2 Voyage – (no photo credit) 3 Ball Series 2 – Nathan Gurvitch 4 Porte-clef – Alan Shaffer 5 Circus Chakras – Ed Chang 6 Big Top – David Steinvurzel 7 Clown Eye – David Steinvurzel 8 High Tea – Nathan Gurvitch