Elizabeth Barenis was born and raised in Greenville, Mississippi, and has been painting since childhood. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College (NY), Elizabeth was named a 2017 Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist grantee as well as a 2018 participant in the International Painting Symposium at the Mark Rothko Art Center in Daugavpils, Latvia. Using her own photography as inspiration, she portrays reality using clean lines and generalized shapes, a style she calls “Abstract Precisionism.”
Her work typically reflects tranquil scenes designed to induce a peaceful state while also inviting interpretation from the viewer. She believes that what the viewer finds in the art is one of the most important things about it. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally.
Elizabeth’s most recent projects have included a 300-square foot mural for the Parks and Recreation building in Dunedin, Florida, an original commissioned painting for the new City Hall in Dunedin, and a solo exhibit at Art Center Sarasota, as well as a short film she produced called “The Hungry Artist,” which was selected to screen at the 2022 Ag and Art Film Festival in Vacaville, California.
As a recipient of the 2023 Creative Pinellas Professional Artist Grant, Elizabeth plans to embrace the opportunity to explore new ideas for large-scale paintings while also continuing her current series of tranquil forest landscapes and palm frond abstractions. Elizabeth lives and works in St. Petersburg, Florida.
