Elisabeth Ladwig
OUR BERKSHIRETIMES MAGAZINE'S FALL - WINTER 2019 COVER ARTIST
A
ll of her scenes have a strong natural connection, set completely or partially outdoors, often with an anonymous subject. “Anonymity allows the viewer to take part in writing the story, and that story is going to be different for everyone.” ~ Elisabeth Ladwig “‘Where do you get your ideas?’ is one of the hardest questions for me to answer,” says photographic artist Elisabeth Ladwig. “Ideas are everywhere.” Every month or two, Elisabeth reserves a day on the calendar for an artist date, be it a museum exhibit, a collage session, an art show, a visit to a new nature center, or even just a walk in the woods. She also enjoys arranging simple nature mandalas, “just to stay connected with what’s going on in my yard. It’s especially fun to see what can be foraged in the middle of winter.” In her book, Elisabeth on Earth: Beyond the Lens of a Photographic Artist, she explains that ideas can be literal or metaphorical. “A snail shell could just be a snail shell, or it might 6
represent privacy, soul-searching, or maybe a secret hideout. An apple: medicine, poison, bounty. A feather: travel, freedom, warmth. Water is cleansing. The moon is peaceful and wise. An abandoned hornets’ nest would just be crazy cool. Please mail me one.” Elisabeth is always on the lookout for treasures, and in her studio you will find a diverse collection of bones, shells, insects, stones, nests, seedpods, wings, and feathers. Soon she will be completing a triptych inspired by a monarch butterfly that she took in from the November cold last year. To see more of Elisabeth’s work, visit The Wit Gallery in Lenox, MA, and her website at www.elisabethonearth.com.
Fall / Winter 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com