Art Historian, Michael Bell of the San Francisco Arts Commission says:

“There are three kinds of Surrealism: Social, Classical and Visionary. What distinguishes Visionary from the other two is that it is the most positive; it looks at the highest ideals of humankind, seeing the optimistic viewpoint above all others. Therefore there must be a religious or spiritual content.”

Even my so-called ‘Maori style’ of paintings, (1971-83, signed: Elizabeth Grainger), although dark and sombre by comparison, are as visionary as my present day paintings. During the time that I was painting ‘Tears of the Albatross” (1983) I had a Near Death Experience and came to what I call the ‘fatal fork’ in the road - which path to take, the left or the right? I made my decision. My life changed and so did my art.

Suddenly I was seeing a broader, even limitless horizon; a more global view. I was looking to the future of the Planet and Her well-being. The colours became brighter; full of Hope and the symbols and archetypes reflected a more trans-cultural awareness. I still have the same source of inspiration as my earlier paintings, ‘Mother Earth’ and ‘Father Sky’, but I have ‘put on my ancestral robes’. Now the visions I see have a Celtic/ Medieval/ Arthurian feel to them rather than that of my immediate surrounds. The archetypes and symbols take us back to our cultural roots, to our ancient myths and legends, and they also take us to our spiritual roots, our Essence, or Source. They awaken our emotions and feelings beckoning us to remember. Maybe we knew some things in the time before materialism and industrialization that we need to remember Now! I feel there is an urgency; that these messages are for the present.

There are several reasons why I believe I am blessed by these gifts. Firstly I am in awe and feel humbled by the magnificence of Nature and the beauty of the visions I am given to portray. I don’t feel superior - which is probably why on occasion I can commune with animals and trees. I see ‘through the eyes of Love’. I have tenacity. I live my dreams and fantasies. I am on a Quest and living my Myth. Being a Pisces (21.2.51) I’m an idealist, a romantic. Clarity of vision has been refined by the ‘Crucible of Life’, and I endeavour (although not always very well) to keep my promise to the Universe to “accept everything that happens to me with Grace and Dignity.” I acknowledge my Inspiration Source and always say ‘Thank You’. I understand that if one is given a gift one has a duty to share it with others, which I endeavour to do through my cards, prints, book covers, art galleries and my presence.

Originally I thought I was painting Mother Earth; the earth, air and water. After the 1983 NDE I recognized the inner-scape, the ‘Journey of the Soul’ in my paintings. In Visionary Art the images are parables. They contain layered meanings - on both personal and planetary levels, for each individual. The significance does not present itself until we are ready to see it. Some people see my work as pretty pictures whilst others may experience a deep and moving spiritual connection. Sometimes the messages are premonitory. At times the significance isn’t revealed immediately. If I used logic to paint with they couldn’t contain all these levels. Logic separates, puts everything in neat boxes. Intuition and imagination are the doorways to other worlds, the whole picture. I endeavour to aspire to the highest ideals, which seem to reflect in my works projecting Optimism, Hope and Healing.

People ask me how long I take to complete a painting. I feel like saying ‘All my life’. Actually, I paint about 4 square inches a day. It’s as though the painting already exists in the ether and it is my job to manifest it in the physical. It’s so exciting to see the images revealed and I have to force myself to concentrate on each fragment rather than rush to complete the whole vision. ‘Morning Glory’ appeared as a Being of Light and guided me as to how to present her. ‘Water Bearer’ ‘told’ me what to paint, and eight years later when I asked, ‘She’ said “You aren’t a child. You know what to do.’ I ask or pray for my paintings. Occasionally they appear: unasked. Many of them are personifications of feelings. The reason the images are strong and powerful rather than misty and soft, I think, is because I feel very passionate about my subjects.

Archetypes and symbols are a universal language of the subconscious mind, which spans all cultures, creeds and time. They are guides for us to follow on our journey and are just as appropriate now as when legends were born.