Scale, shape and color drive the work of South Carolina painter Liz Rundorff Smith.
The artist: Born in Greenville, PA, her family moved to Littleton, CO, when she was four. The family moved back to western Pennsylvania when she was 15.
She received a BA in studio art with a concentration in sculpture from the College of Wooster in Ohio and an MFA in painting (2005) from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Rundorff Smith studied abroad at The Marchutz School of Painting in Aix en Provence, France, and the British Institute of Florence in Italy.
In 2006, she moved to Greenville, SC, to work as the visual artist manager for the Artisphere fine arts festival. After 11 years at Artisphere, the artist became program director for the Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) in 2016.
These days she splits her time between her studio practice and her administrative role with GCCA.
The studio: Liz Rundorff Smith studio is in Greenville, SC. She shares studio space with three other women artists.
The art & materials. Painting in various mediums, including gouache, acrylic, oil, and encaustic, which intrigues her because it can be used as both two-dimensionally and three-dimensionally. Work ranges from small acrylic paintings on paper to large-scale abstractions.
What’s popular: Smaller (nine inches by nine inches) gouache works on paper ($125). Most paper works are sold through Art & Light Gallery in Greenville.
Other favorites: Large-scale (48 inches by 48 inches) abstractions ($4,000). Also bigger encaustic pieces ($2,100 to $2,450)
Inspirations: Many, including:
- Eve Hesse, the late German-born American painter and sculptor, known for using unusual materials at the time.
- Color trends from different eras that remind me of the suburban landscape.
- Kitsch, and the personal connection we associate with it.
Cool commission: Sweeney Co. Art Advisors placed her work in the Marilyn Monroe Bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel. “I hope I get to see it one day!”
Awards & honors: Many, including:
- Receiving the 2022 Solo Exhibition Award, granted in collaboration with the Florence County Museum and Florence Regional Art Alliance which gave her the opportunity to create a solo exhibition, “STREET GARDEN,” at the Florence County Museum. Through Aug. 5.
What’s next:
- A collaboration with artist Adam du Shole for an exhibition in September at Junto Coffee in Greenville.
- A show at Art & Light Gallery in October with abstract painters Terri Dilling and Nino Yuniardi.
- Exhibiting work in October at Liv Lab, a new artist collective and project space in Sylva, NC.
Where to buy: lizrundorffsmith.com. Also smaller prints through Art & Light Gallery in Greenville (artandlightgallery.com)
Get social:
- Instagram: @lizrundorffsmithstudio
