ELIZABETH COGLEY

International Wildlife Artist

The love of the bush and it's inhabitants, which are forever changing and never dull, are what inspire Elizabeth to paint. She wants to share this love with other people through the final image.

She works in mixed media and loves to pay attention to detail. Elizabeth has a Diploma in Art/Design and has received several awards in the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia annual exhibitions, and many other exhibitions around Australia.

Depending on the environment airbrushing, pastel or acrylic, or a combination of these is used. The creature usually begins with layers of watercolour then more detailed work follows in pencil and finally gouache. Each piece of work takes approximately four weeks to complete.

Having the constant interaction with wildlife and their habitats enables her to have a good understanding of her subject. Portraying the animals in their environment is an important part of Elizabeth's work. She believes our unique and beautiful ecosystems are very delicate and that our existence depends on their survival.

Elizabeth was born in Melbourne, Australia where as a child she won several awards in local shows and completed the occasional commission.

Stories at Primary School of the Man from Snowy River, Swagmen and Stories of Aborigines and our Australian History, were some of the things that encouraged Elizabeth to begin drawing. She spent a lot of time illustrating these stories in great detail, on the front pages of her exercise books, to the delight of her teachers. In grade five her talent was recognised when she won first prize in the Dandenong Show Art competition, for her painting of a landscape (Swagman and his horse).

After finishing school Elizabeth worked in the banking industry. However her passion for art and the Australian bush and wildlife continued. In 1979 marriage and family life allowed Elizabeth little time to pursue her passion. As her family became more independent Elizabeth was able to realise her dream when she enrolled as a part time student in the Chisholm Institute of Technical and further Education pursuing her art career in earnest and graduating in 1996 with a Diploma of Art/Design.