Painter exhibits at Roy’s in Po‘ipu

Local painter Elizabeth Ferris is currently exhibiting her colorful work at Roy’s in Po‘ipu. This is the artist’s second show at Roy’s and will run until Aug. 5.

Ferris’ work also hangs in the Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Garden Gallery in Kilauea. Each first Sunday of the month Ferris and Kaua‘i artist friends, Nancy Forbes, Kathy Gabet and IIeana Carreno have an open studio paint day at the Lighthouse Bistro from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited to watch the artists at work, where they also offer recent work for purchase.

Born in Hoboken, N.J., as a teenager Ferris started painting in oils under the tutelage of her Dutch father, and spent some time with the North Bergen Art League. She married young and in 1962 moved with her husband and children to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where she worked for Saudi Arabian Airlines as a graphic arts assistant and continued to paint as a hobby. Eventually, she moved to San Diego, and after a long hiatus, resumed painting in 1996 while attending the Athenaeum Art School in La Jolla, Calif., taking instruction from Ken Goldman and Robbie Laird. 

Some 10 years ago, Ferris moved to Kilauea, where she was touched by the beauty of the islands. Further inspired, she sought out Jean Bradley for instruction in watercolor. Since then, she has taken instruction from Steve Quiller, Hope Stevenson, Jane Hofstetter, Barbara Nechis, Siam Caglayan, Jeff Horn and Camille Przewodek. Her work focuses on the natural beauty of the island’s flora and fauna.

Ferris is affiliated with the Hawai‘i Watercolor Society, Kaua‘i Society of Artists, Garden Island Arts Council, Kaua‘i Outdoor Plein Air Artists, and the Plein Air Painters of Hawai‘i. She is listed in the publication, “Kauai Artists.”

Presently, Ferris paints in both oils and watercolor. “I strive for a vibrance from my natural island surroundings, and from the faces I encounter on the island of Kaua‘i.” For more information on Ferris’ work, e-mail ferrisr001@hawaii.rr.com.