Artist of the day

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Artist of the Day, April 15, 2026 : Lizzie Farey, a Scottish willow sculptor (#2501)

Lizzie Farey (1962) is a contemporary willow sculptor and artist based in the Stewartry in Galloway, Scotland. She designs and creates wall sculptures and 3D forms using her own grown and harvested willow, as well as other local woods such as ash, hazel, birch catkins and larch.

Her work is inspired by the natural landscape that surrounds her home and studio, and draws on influences from Japan in her approach to capturing the simplicity, practicality and beauty of the materials.

Each work is built up slowly over a period of weeks; contemplative by nature, these pieces communicate a sense of calm. An outward expression of our internal thinking, emotion and desires, Farey’s work provides an inner safe place, a sanctuary where she can develop ideas and reach out to others.

Farey was born in Singapore. She studied at Canterbury College of Art and Cardiff College of Art. She turned to basketry in 1991, learning from her sister-in-law in North Wales.

According to Farey she is influenced by the "hills, lochs, larch and heather" of the Galloway countryside where she lives and works. She is beholden to the cycles of nature, growing willow in nearby farmer's fields and collecting ash and other materials from the hedgerows.

In 2007 Farey was awarded the Scottish Arts Council's Creative Development Award. Her work has been exhibited by BrownGrotta Arts in the US, Sotheby's in New York and London, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Her work The Cutting Edge is in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. Farley's work was included in City Art Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland travelling exhibition Spirit of Air.

© 2026. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Lizzie Farey or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only

Ms. Lizzie Farey

Ms. Lizzie Farey at work

Willow Ball II, 2000

Willow Ball II, 2000

Willow Form, 2001

Marag, 2006

Inscriptions, 2010

Ash Bowl, 2013

Catkin Bowl, 2017

Circulus, 2017

Concentus cover, 2017

Folium, 2017

Forma Fluens, 2017

Indomitus, 2017

Large Platter, 2017

Leaves and seeds, 2017

Meadow, 2017

Nimbus, 2017

Small Dlattor, 2017

Swallows, 2017

Wall Sketch I, 2017

Orbiculus, 2018

Bog Myrtle Nest, 2020

Sauchen Curach II, 2020

Willow wall drawing, 2022

Midnight Moon, 2024

Outline Bowl, 2024

Early Spring, 2025

Wind in the Grasses, 2025

Willow Circle with Beech

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Artist of the Day, April 14, 2026 : Nancy Alexander, an American ceramist, painter (#2500)

Welcome to Artist of the Day Nº. 2500! For this celebration I have a great artist not well known yet, and with a lot of talent: Ms Nancy Alexander.

Nancy Alexander (1954) is an American ceramist, painter. Nancy never took any art class until few years ago. As a single mother, her time was to take care of her 2 sons and a successful travel agency.

When I met Nancy, in her mid 60's, she had never even picked up a pencil to draw, taken any art class, or even thought about attempting expressing herself via art. Her first assignment was to paint something (anything) and give it to me. She did a paint by number acrylic painting of me! Since that time (2020), she has been trying all sorts of mediums - drawing, painting, pottery, chase & repoussé, mixed medium, and papier maché. She has sought out mentors along the way - Ms. Kimberly Miller for pottery, Ms Ampha Saengchan for the metal work & Noina Art Studio in Chiang Mai for drawing, Jane Dill Designs for mixed mediums & ARTE in San Miguel for papier mache, and others.

Nancy is fascinated with all of the different mediums she's been experiencing, and is an eager learner!

© 2026. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Nancy Alexander. or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only