Liz McLelland

I studied Foundation Art at Lincoln Art College in the 1990s and was briefly side-tracked by a degree in Professional Media before starting a long career in the conservation sector.  Largely self-taught, I’ve been entrusted with a number of commissions over the years, including numerous portraits of beloved pets, a 47 feet marine mural in a private swimming pool, decorative murals for show homes and a study of an ancient oak as a special retirement gift. Painting and drawing have been my constant companions, with studies of animals being my particular happy place.

More recently, I have discovered a love of working in clay and with the purchase of my first proper kiln (the indomitable “NORA”) during lockdown in 2020, I’ve been busy observing wildlife to inspire my ceramic animal creations. In October 2021, my sculpture “Form” was selected for the Society of Wildlife Artists’ annual show “The Natural Eye” at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London, where it sold.

I’m never happier than when I’m up to my elbows in wet clay trying to recreate the shape of a creature. When I sculpt an animal it is a journey that starts with an inspiring encounter.  Starting with sketches and reference photos, the clay responds and a final form emerges. Working in clay is all the more compelling for its unpredictability and there’s little more unnerving and exciting than opening the kiln to discover how the oxides and glazes have chosen to interact with the clay this time (or indeed, if the fruits of many hours of labour have survived Nora’s searing attention).

My aim with my art is to capture something of the spirit of an animal, the subtleties of its movement and the awareness in its eyes. Most of all, I am trying to recreate that moment of wonder, the sense of being treated to something secret and precious that I feel every time I am lucky enough to observe wild animals in their natural habitat. The result is that every one of my sculptures is entirely unique.