Elizabeth grew up in the Midwest and enjoyed expressing herself through a variety of fine arts throughout her school years – she is an accomplished pianist, thespian, and vocalist.  She also enjoyed experimenting with a variety of art mediums – pen & ink, pencil sketching, oil painting, woodcarving and metalworking. 

Approaching her university years, Elizabeth chose to find a more “practical” outlet for her creative energies and enrolled in a drafting course her senior year of high school.  She excelled, winning a regional drafting competition that encouraged her to pursue an engineering career.  As a woman in the late 1970’s, this was an unusual and challenging career choice. 

She graduated with honors from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Technology degree with an emphasis in mechanical design and drafting.  Following graduation, she moved to Tucson, Arizona to work as a manufacturing engineer for a major defense contractor.  After marrying her husband of 21 years she traded engineering for being a stay-at-home mom to her two wonderful sons.  Once her sons were both in school she re-entered the engineering workforce part-time. 

During that time she was reminded of a childhood memory of receiving a regular periodical in which there was a photograph of something common, but magnified in such a way to make it almost abstract.  The photograph was entitled “What Is It?” and presented itself as a mystery revealed later in the publication with a photograph showing the complete subject.  

One day after a quiet time of reflection reading the scripture Romans 1:20, which describes how God has revealed Himself to us through what He has created, she realized that most of us are living at such a frantic pace that we are unable or unwilling to take the time to look at the mysteries and wonders that surround us each and every day.  She knew at that moment, that she needed to create a “What is it?” of her own, encouraging people to explore the natural beauty that lives and grows all around us.  In May of 2005, with the support of her family, She left her corporate job to pursue the desire of her heart. 

Her desire is to paint a unique perspective of the natural beauty that surrounds us each and every day in such a manner that people will pause from their busy lives to reflect on the wonders of creation with renewed appreciation.