Our third blog interview is local St. Petersburg fine artist Elizabeth Barenis. She is immensely talented and well-regarded in the art community in the Tampa Bay area and beyond. I was honored to have Elizabeth participate in a Blog interview, and I know you will find her responses very relatable, thought-provoking, and inspiring.

Elizabeth’s Bio:

Elizabeth Barenis was born and raised in Greenville, Mississippi, and has been painting since childhood. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College in New York, Elizabeth was selected as a participant in the 2018 International Painting Symposium at the Mark Rothko Art Center in Daugavpils, Latvia, as well as a recipient of the 2023 Creative Pinellas Professional Artist Grant. Using her own photography as reference, Elizabeth paints in a style she calls “Abstract Precisionism,” which refers to her use of clean lines and generalized shapes. Her work typically reflects tranquil scenes designed to induce a peaceful state while also inviting interpretation from the viewer. She believes that what the viewer finds in the art is one of the most important things about it. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally. Elizabeth lives and works in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Links: http://www.elizabethbarenis.coming http://www.facebook.com/elizabethbarenisart http://www.instagram.com/elizabethbarenis http://www.youtube.com/@elizabethbarenis

Interview:

Question: What is something you know now that you wish you had known when you started your career as an artist?

Answer: If I could travel back in time and give myself a piece of advice, it would be this: it's going to take a lot of time to get to where you want to be. If I had known that, then the early years of ambition that were often met with disappointment in the form of rejection, might have been easier to bear. You don't know how much you need to grow until you do grow, and then you look back and say, “Wow, I had a ways to go.” And I'll always keep growing. That's one of the reasons I chose to be a painter – because it's something I can do for the rest of my life.

Question: Which piece out of all the artwork you have created is your favorite and why?

Answer: My favorite painting is called “Big Sur II.” It shows the waves crashing on the rocky California coast with muted blue, green, and tan colors swirling beneath a gentle, hovering fog. It was such a peaceful and fulfilling moment when I took the photograph that inspired this painting – it's a moment I could live in forever. And even though it's been 6 years since I painted it, I still find new meaning in it that I didn't notice before.

Question: What do you find to be the most successful method for marketing/advertising your art?

Answer: Social media has definitely brought connections that I wouldn't have otherwise had. People I've never met see my art and reach out with projects or commissions. Facebook and Instagram are invaluable tools for gaining exposure and tapping into a larger audience.

Question: What projects are you currently involved in or have coming up in the near future?

Answer: It's an exciting time for me because I just received the professional artist grant through Creative Pinellas, and the grant will support me while I try some new ideas on the canvas. And I will present the new work at their Arts Annual in November. My other, ongoing projects include a series of forest landscapes, foggy vistas, and of course the abstracted palm fronds that I am most known for.

Question: How do you think artificial intelligence will impact the fine arts if at all?

Answer: I think artificial intelligence is becoming a new medium as well as a new subject matter for artists. It could dilute the art market or cause confusion about the artists' role in creating it. But I believe there will always be an appreciation and demand for traditional forms of art-making which have been around for thousands of years, like painting.

Question: Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years as an artist?

Answer: In 5 years I hope to still be doing what I do now, but on a grander and more celebrated scale. I'd like to travel to far away places and make paintings based on what I find. And I hope to one day be collected by museums. Simply put, I want to give everything I have to give and be remembered for it...isn't that what we all want?