About Liz Whiteman Smith

I am a screen printer and artist, currently living in London. I love to travel around the world exploring unusual places and cultures. I create series of multi layered screen prints, working from my own photographs and drawings.

I make prints to make people smile, I love seeing the reaction people give when looking at one of my playful dinosaurs or colourful blue footed boobies. I created my series of dinosaurs playing sports when I was asked to make some work that would appeal to children. Children love dinosaurs and even the very youngest know the names of the most complicated ones. I felt that the dinosaurs would not have died out if they had had something to do or play with. I keep finding new sports for my dinosaurs and am open to suggestions.

I was organising an exhibition to commemorate Darwin’s voyage to the Galapagos a few years ago and came across the blue footed boobies who have bright blue feet and display them as part of their mating dance. The brighter blue their feet, the healthier they are and the more successful they are as mates. I took this concept further and combined with my mathematical love of pattern made them even more colourful.

I make my prints by first drawing the outline, then adding pattern and finally colour. Once I have a finished design I separate the colours into different layers, have positives made which are then developed into silk screens. Each colour has a separate screen which must be carefully lined up over the previous colour to produce the final design.

I enjoy screen printing and the precision required to produce a perfectly registered print. I am an elected member of the Southbank Printmakers Gallery, also active with the Printmakers Council and Print Club London. I have also organised and curated several stands at the Affordable Art Fair. I have work in the Victoria and Albert museum archives and have collectors around the world.