Elizabeth Cameron Art Page

Commissioned Art Work

Portrait Painter

None of this work can be copied without permission from
the Artist, Elizabeth Cameron. All work is copyrighted.
Contact horseart2@gmail.com

The Cameron Family Portraits
These paintings span decades.
I began the series in 1970 when I was in art school.
You can see the emotional and artistic evolution that has taken place...

With my large family there's more yet to do!


"James Cameron & Blue #1"
1986 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media

After my mom died, dad bought a sailboat and lived
aboard with his Scotty dog for many years.
He was happy to be retired from advertising and delighted to
grow a beard and wear his favorite sweaters instead of a suit.
He named his boat "The DorothyII" after my mom.

"James Cameron & Blue Again"
1986 oil

I did another version in oil.
I didn't yet know how to handle
the difficulty of putting some light
in to show detail on a black dog!

"Dorothy Cameron"
1990 oil on canvas 16wx20h

I had only one decent photo to paint from when mom died.
She was never one for the limelight. Ironically the photo was
taken at a holiday gathering when she gestured with the first
indication that she was having trouble breathing.
Her phonecall to me later said
"The good news is that I've had a great life.
The bad news is I have inoperable lung cancer.
Both of my parents died of that disease, and both donated their bodies to science.
I knew mom's favorite color was turquoise and she loved the field of daffodils
that my father planted for her so I included those. Yes the living
room windowpane could be seen as a white cross.

"Julia Cameron & Domenica"
1979? oil on canvas 21wx29h

I can't wait to paint a happier and prettier portrait
of my sister! This one was done shortly after her divorce from her
daughter's father. To me she looked like a beautiful
wounded mother hawk protecting her child
and that is what I painted. Probably more of a
character study than the ideal for a family portrait,
but there has been a lot of learning and mileage on
my paintbrushes since then.

"Domenica & Friend"
1985 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media

Domenica was my first niece and
I could not paint her enough!
I've always lived just a little over an hour
from Chicago so my family often visited my farm.

"Domenica, Jeremy & Peavely"
1987 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media 9wx11h

Domenica has always loved animals!
The pony's mane was so thick it could
support a barn cat too.

"Domenica & Walter"
1988 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media 23wx35h

Domenica with her beloved Arabian.

"Jaimie Cameron"
1991 oil on canvas 30wx24h

My older brother with his trusty ES-335 guitar.

"Bill Swain"
(My sister in law, Kathy Swain Cameron's father)
2001 oil on canvas 22wx32h

Kathy had me paint her dad in his trademark
red plaid shirt. Little did I know the challenge
that shirt would be! I loved the background of the
family land in Tennessee showing the bend in the river.

"Erin Cameron at Easter"
(Jaimie & Kathy Cameron's daughter)
1989 oil on canvas 24wx30h

Erin did not like frills, and had a very
inependant fashion sense. It was fun to see
what she chose to wear, and that trait continues to
this day!

"Kelly Cameron, age 5"
(Jaimie & Kathy Cameron's daughter)
1991 oil on canvas 24wx30h

Kelly's big blue eyes and innocence
were what I wanted to focus on.

"Colleen Cameron"
(Jaimie & Kathy Cameron's daughter)
2004 oil on canvas 19hx33w

Colleen is as beautiful as her sisters and I
enjoyed showing her in front of her grandmother
Cameron's roses. She is older in her portrait because
for a while there were more babies in the family than
I could keep up with painting!

"Lorrie Cameron"
1987 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media

This was done before I learned how to take proper
photos of my work and make sure the angle was not distorted!
So no my sister Lorrie is not smirking! I loved how elegant she looked
in that dress and the antique is a keepsake from her husband's family.
Lorrie was so sweet to model for me. I was living in a
less-than-great setting, so we dragged cardboard boxes into
my garage, covered them with quilts and hung a favorite
bedsheet for a background! Now I better hurry up and rephotograph
this painting!

"Lorrie and Peter Burrows"
1987 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media

Pete commissioned this of their wedding day
as a later surprise for Lorrie. Like we say in
about him in the family "WHAT a guy"!!!

"George Burrows, Sr."
1994 oil 19wx25h

Pete's dad was the late great Mr. Burrows.

"Emma Burrows"
(Lorrie & Peter Burrow's daughter)
1994 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media 24wx35h

Emma has always been a beauty,
so it was hard to decide at what stage
to paint her!I chose to show her with her
mother's garden.

"Andy Burrows"
(Lorrie & Peter Burrow's son)
1997 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media 30wx40h

Is there much cuter than a boy and his dog?
They grow up so fast!
Andy is already 6'2" tall!
(And yes girls he has stayed THAT cute!!)

"Marissa Cameron"
(daughter of my brother Chris and his wife, Barbara)
2004 oil on canvas 20wx28h

Marissa is a confident and extremely
talented and artistic child.

Further study? Painting is never boring!
I devour books, but you can't learn every thing that way.
The thickness of a glaze, the color nuances in different brands
of paints, there is an endless variety of things to discover.
You can tell this painting has a lot of depth
and atmosphere and my work has evolved.
As an artist, I'm always seeking to refine my technique.


In 2002 I was fortunate enough to meet Helena Ehlke,
who has been with the Milwaukee Art Museum for over
twenty-five years. Helena teaches classes for people
interested in studying Old Master painting methods.
She also works with professional artists in her atelier.
(She compares working with professional artists wishing to
learn and explore the advanced methods of past masters
to being a voice coach: "even Pavarotti and other masters
have voice coaches throughout their professional lives!")

I found it wonderfully beneficial to have
an open mind and hear her insights.
The heritage of technique that's gone before
us is a rich resource and Helena is very generous
to share her knowledge. For further information
about studying Master Oil Painting methods
you can contact her at hehlke@merr.com

"Nicky Cameron"
(son of my brother Chris and his wife, Barbara)
2005 oil on canvas 20wx30h

Chipmonkey is Nicky's much loved toy.
He wears a Cameron plaid vest and the
rug is an heirloom my parents brought
back from New Mexico when Uncle John Shea
taught on a reservation there.

"Will Sparks & Brandy"
(son of Mary Beth Shea Sparks and her husband Quentin Sparks)
1994 oil on canvas 24wx23h

I was delighted when my cousin asked
me to paint her son, Will.

"Dottie Cameron, reference photo for work in progress"
(my sister Peg, and Brian Gill's daughter)
2006 will be oil on canvas

I am still learning with every painting.
I had what we thought was a great photo
I had taken last year. But I kept stalling on
starting it. It was of Dottie in a tree, and I kept
mocking myself as painting "Dottie of the jungle"... I am so glad
I asked her for a reshoot and did something to concentrate more on
her lovely face. (Next I will paint her twin, James,
and then only 3 siblings to go in the series!)


Here's the dramatic "jungle" shot we did not end up using.
Our farm is just a bit over an hour from Chicago,
but we have fantastic horse trails and an active
conservation community that allowed for this fun backdrop.
There's not necesssarily a "right or wrong" way to approach
a painting concept, but I've learned with experience
that if a painting keeps percolating through my mind when
I'd expect it to just be shaping up on my easel...
I'm happier if I tune in and evaluate those fleeting thoughts!


"#1 Dottie in Progress"
oil on canvas 15wx24h
Yes this odd looking beginning is how
I build flesh tones and atmosphere!



"Where We Grew Up"
1991 oil on canvas 32wx13h

Libertyville, Illinois

Several self portraits, and family pets...

"Elizabeth Cameron, The Artist At Work"
(self portrait)
1991 oil on canvas 30hx36w

This was painted as my humorous response to someone saying to me
"Why can't you talk on the phone? You're an artist,
it's not like you work or anything..."
I am now careful to point out that it is a joke,
since someone who didn't know my sense of humor came into the house
and asked if I was conceited!"

"Elizabeth Cameron, the Artist At Play"
(self portrait)
1992 oil on canvas 24wx36h

This is the fantasy of what I look like when I ride.
My normal trail attire of blaze orange wouldn't have
made the most proper painting! Skippy and Wolf (Norwegian
Elkhound), are my "hounds" here.

"Elizabeth Cameron, bruised, early art school "
(self portrait)
1971 oil on canvas 18x20

Obviously I knew nothing at his point about color mixing!
Getting a decent flesh tone is not instinctive, it is learned.
I could fake it saying this was a psychological study
(which it partly was, as is any portrait),
but it was truly because at the time, I did not know
classical painting methods.

Elizabeth Cameron, "You and Then Me"
(self portrait)
1976 oil on canvas 48x48

In my early surrealistic interest, I did this portrait
set in the unusual subterranean looking interior of a
restaurant where I worked when first out of art school.
My heart is represented by the view from a northern cabin
as shown on my shirt. The elegant dining room's chef
had been hired from a burger joint, so thus the hamburder.
I added the clownfish and sea anemone to comment on the snobbish patrons
who seemed to think there was a class difference between "you" and then me.
My title was "You Anenome". The bandage on my forehead probably
represents all that convoluted thinking!

"Elizabeth Cameron, Wyeth Window"
(self portrait)
1982 alkyd on canvas 39wx29h

My homage to Wyeth's famous painting of a
lace curtain. It was an experiment with a
new painting medium. It felt like working with
vaseline and I never did get the fleshtone even
close. Note the Cameron plaid tie!
I don't know if it's harder doing a self portrait
because I am more critical, or easier because
there isn't the pressure to make it look good!
Basically I do a lot of them because the model is handy!

"Elizabeth Cameron, from the Countess's window"
(self portrait)
1986 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media 28wx18h

This was the view I was invited to paint from Countess
Brenda Cassini's window in Marbella, Spain. The white mountain was
a landmark. I borrowed an exotic blouse from Brenda for the
occasion, and she took the reference photos for me to work from.

"Elizabeth Cameron, Colorado Airspace"
(self portrait)
1972 oil on canvas 4xf feet

That's me with rhinestone eyes and turquoise chaps on a Morgan mare
at Greentree Ranch in Loveland, Colorado. The airplanes
represented time tunnels as I travelled back and forth to our
home in Illinois from the girl's school where I was sent for a year in 1968.
(Yes that's another chapter for the book!)

"Elizabeth Cameron, James Joyce or Joyce James?"
(self portrait)
1983 oil on canvas 22x22

In art school we had to take some literature classes as well.
I loved the writings of James Joyce. When I went to work in
publishing I was mulling over thoughts that I felt both a male
and female 'side' to one's personality were needed to succeed in the
business world. This was just when books were starting to
talk about right brain creativity, left brain etc.

"Roy-el's Faerietale Cameron in winter"
(my Morgan mare)
1994 oil on canvas 15hx27w

Technically it looks great, but this was still a
fairly early horse portrait. I liked my mare in her
short summer hair coat, but I loved the contrast with
winter. So do you please the realists and say it is "incorrect"
or just make "art"!

"Roy-el's Faerietale Cameron in Spring"
(my Morgan mare)
2005 acrylic on canvas 16x20 oval

This was an experiement with acrylic paint. I wanted to try
using what I learned of the more traditional method of
layering with oils to show atmosphere. I liked the result.
It takes a long time for oils to dry between coats, so it was
fun to barrel along in acrylic. On the other hand it does not have the
inimitable richness that is the nature of oils.

"Saudi at the Window"
(my Arabian mare)
1988 watercolor with colored pencil mixed media 19x30

Saudi came from the Humane Society and was with me for almost 30 years.
She read my mind as we rode the river trails and was like
a sister to me. I loved the light on her bones and in her
eye when I was grooming her in an aisle. I ran for
my camera and took a good photo to paint from.

"Saudi In Heaven"
(my Arabian mare)
1999 oil on canvas 16x20

Saudi coliced when she was 27. I did not know how
great the odds were against an older horse in that situation.
But I couldn't say goodbye. I had the emergency surgery done
and she survived. We had 3 more wonderful years together.
She was normally aloof, as seen in the window
painting. After the illness, she changed, it was as if she knew I had
saved her. She became almost cuddley. I had to
do a new, "friendlier" painting! I love having them both.

"Skippy Cameron"
(my late great Boarder Collie mix)
2002 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media 10hx8w art area

The title is "Shall We Go To The Barn"...

"Theo Cameron, as a puppy"
(my silver Standard Poodle)
2005 Watercolor and colored pencil mixed media 6" circle

At this point I am one pony and 3 dogs behind
on the current pet portraits!

Do you have friends & family who care
about their loved ones like you do?
Please let them know how I can be of service.
Your referrals are my highest compliment!
Thank you.
Email contact: horseart2@gmail.com

Videos: How I Paint
The Love of Grays
2009 Paintings!
Paintings That Are For Sale
Corporate Casual
The Stier-Johnson Family
The Cameron Family Portraits
Artist Biography
Paintings From 2006
... The Newest Paintings!
Carriage Driving!
Paintings From 2004-2005
Foxhunt & Hound Series
More Progress In The Foxhunt & Hound Series
My cartoon books
Page 1. - Portraits
Page 2. - Portraits
Page 3. - Portraits
Page 4. - Portraits
Page 5. - Portraits
Page 6. - Portraits
Page 7. - Portraits
Page 8. - Dog Portraits
Page 9. - More Dog Portraits
Page 10. - Flower Paintings In Bloom
Page 11. - Dogs, Dogs & More Dogs!
Page 12. - Never Too Many Dogs!
Page 13. - Dogarama Spectacular!
Page 14. - Life With Horses
Page 15. - Hunting & Horses
Page 16. - Sibling & Scenics
Page 17. - Childhood Horses & Puppy Pix
Page 18. - Horse Portraits
Faerietale Farm Reality
Procedures & Prices


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