“Parklands 17 Migrating Birds”, 2019
This work is a tribute to the 17 students and faculty members shot and killed at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, where it now hangs.
The focus is on the birds. They are migrating from one place to another - It could be heaven, nirvana, reincarnation, eternity - it means different things to different people.
The birds are swallow tailed kites, which are numerous in the Everglades. The iconography of this bird has been defined as a "comfort for mothers.” Wikipedia identified the swallow tailed kite as “the coolest bird”. Each bird is different, individual.
The tops of slash pines and the kites represent the Everglades. Marjorie Stone Douglas High School bears the name of the tireless activist who was instrumental in establishing the Everglades as a protected national park. It seems fitting that this undeterred activist’s name should be attached to this particular school.
The sky is moving with the birds, because those they represent, moved the world.
"Allee de Charmes", 2009, Oil on Canvas, 8 x 10 feet
This work was inspired by an ally of tress in the garden of the house it was painted for.The stylized geometry of the trees contrasts with the intense detail of the tree's leaves and enhances the exaggerated diminishing of the focus.
"New York University Hospital Oncology Entrance", 1998, NYU Hospital, New York City, 9 x 34 feet
“‘A mural can help people fight cancer', says Dr. Jay Cooper, the acting chairman of radiation oncology at New York University Medical Center. 'If you can transport yourself mentally,"he said, "it allows you to fight that illness more effectively.' More that 150 patients were asked what would make them feel better. The answer; live plants and tranquil images.
'The theme is optimism,' said Elizabeth Thompson, who painted the mural. 'To go over the bridge was to go where you've made a commitment to getting well.' (A door to treatment rooms opens there.) Colored rectangles make a visual reference to computers and technology and the geometry creates an opportunity to use color in a way not found in nature. The mural is in the radiation oncology lobby at 566 First Avenue (33rd Street)."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Loose Quilts Over the Farm", 1991, Bedminster, New Jersey, 8 x 12 feet
"For Elizabeth Thompson, creating artworks is a challenge and a puzzle. 'I am figuring out the best possible solution for a space' she says.
The mural was designed to complete a building that was based on Shaker architecture. Thompson referred to the spirit of Shakerism in several ways. The design for the painting was inspired by American regionalist paintings of the 1920's and 30's, which is allied with Shakerism.
'I designed a painting with undulating, rotund forms to offset the austerity inherent in the Shaker style. Quilts fly over the landscape. This is a reference to American craftsmanship and hopefully adds a whimsical touch to soften the interior.'"
THE BERGEN RECORD
"The Debraak and the Twin Capes", 1996, MV Twin Capes, 8 x 40 feet
"CAPE MAY-The Ship gently rocked beneath their feet. A salty ocean breeze blew in from an open door. The deck of an 18th century British frigate stretched out before them.
The passengers boarded a state-of-the-art ferry, the MV Twin Capes, for its run between Cape Bay and Lewes, Del., but they weren't so sure when they walked into a realistic mural of the HMS DeBraak.
The painting lures passengers with a realism and wrap around view that fills the peripheral vision and creates an illusion accentuated by the smell of sea breezes and by the ferry's rocking motion."
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
"El Angel de Mexico", 1994, Mexico City, 10 x 12 feet
The greatest concentration of modern mural painting is in Mexico, specifically Mexico City. Diego Revera, Orozco and Siqueiros were the champions of this tradition. It was a great honor to be invited to paint a series of murals for a bank that was situated a the "Paseo de la Reforma", the central traffic round-about and monument of Mexico City, and the site of parades, protests, and home to many commercial enterprises.
The mural pictured is one of seven works that were created for a building located at this site, and takes as its subject the symbol and "Angel of Independence" that appears atop the central column.
Two putti blow from corners of the composition, and the intersection of their crossing breath transforms the golden angel into a human. A collage of details pertaining to the monument include aerial views of lion statues, inlaid marble patterns, and a parade circling the column, celebrating the tradition for which this site is so well known.
"Shanghai Tang", 1997, Madison Avenue, New York City, 40 x 10 feet
"With its two-story 11,000 square foot showroom, cubist inspired murals and racks of neon-colored Mao jackets, the store pops out from Madison Avenue's minimalist boutiques like a Warhol at the Vatican."
PEOPLE
"At the new furnishings-and-fashion emporium on Madison Avenue, Elizabeth Thompson transformed an elevator cab into a cubist Tibetan temple. To the Chinese, bats signify prosperity. Thompson auspiciously displays them in abstract form in silver-leaf on the elevator."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"The Shanghai Tang store featured a 40 foot tower painted by Elizabeth Thompson that was based on Tibetan architecture. The design was inspired by Leger and motifs from Tibetan quilts and temples. This very strong design elements anchors the lively and colorful elements surrounding it."
WORLD INTERIOR DESIGN
"Regatta", 1997, Marriot Hotel, Stamford, Connecticut, 8 x 12 feet
This mural uses the bold design of spinnakers as counterpoint to the backdrop of an active vivid sea. This mural compliments an indoor swimming pool with its references to light, wind and the release and freedom suggested by boats in full sail.
"Zimbabwe Gold Mine", 1990, Cluff Industries, 10 x 12 feet
This mural reflects the very strong influence of WPA era art, specifically the paintings and murals of Thomas Hart Benton. The artist was sent to Zimbabwe by a London based company to paint a mural that would explain the workings for their gold mine. In this collage certain hyperrealist details such as tractor impressions in the mud, have been incorporated to convey a wide array of sensations connected with the site. The energy of this industrial experience is described by the active workers, rocks spilling down a chute, and steam being released under pressure. Contrasting with this is a view of African hills seen in the distance.
"View from the Top", 1995, Delaware River and Bay Authority, 9 x 20 feet
"The mural, a view of the Delaware memorial Bridge that gives the feeling of standing on top of the span looking down at the cars, was completed this past spring and can be seen at the bridge's west toll visitor complex. The diagonal created by the main cable echoes the railing of the adjacent staircase. A bridge worker sands at the right hand side in a heroic and introspective pose remisniscent of Edward Hopper."
THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY
"The Doll House", 1999, Chateu de Boulains, France, 8 x 10 feet
This mural features a playroom filled with toys and a napping dog in front of a dollhouse. A close-up of the dollhouse depicts a highly detailed rendering of an actual house and an interior narrative of children playing. The shift in scale from the large playroom toys to the intricate, detailed dollhouse rooms emphasizes a complete world within the dollhouse. The "outside" world of the playroom is tranquil; the dog naps, the toys are still. Inside the house children run, wrestle, and jump on beds. The animation is within the central toy, except for the girl rising from behind the house, who will perhaps intervene in this interior world.
"Let It Shine", 1998, Association to Benefit Children, 50 x 50 feet
The many large windows on the rear façade of a building creates a lovely, light interior space for HIV infected children within, but also presents a design challenge for the mural to cover this façade.
The mural design is dominated by two intersecting spectrums that create a strong unifying element that supersedes the power of the windows. It allows for the inclusion of a lot of color. Most importantly, it divides the space to express the two great objectives of this mural. At ground level, small children at play are amused by the joyful colors and cavorting animals, high above, inside the "V" created by intersecting spectrums is a night sky that memorializes children who died. Horizontal bars on the lowest windows were turned into music lines. Musical notes spelling out the song "This Little Light of Mine" expand as they rise to the night sky.
Mayors David Dinkins and Rudolph Guiliani were present at the dedication of Cassidy's Place. First Lady Hillary Clinton hailed the center as a national model and a beacon of hope at its dedication. "This center is not about political parties of politicians. It's about dedication to the principle that every child is a precious gift."
GRETCHEN BUCHENHOLTZ, Executive Director, Association to Benefit Children
"Rodney Square North", 1979, Acrylic on Canvas, 14 x 34 feet
The monumental mural facing the main entrance of the Wilmington Trust Center depicts the three structures that have occupied the site of Rodney Square North since the days of the Civil War. The 14' x 34' painting by American artist Elizabeth Thompson was commissioned by the Wilmington Trust Company . The painting is a graphic representation of Wilmington's commitment to the future built upon the past in its imaginative juxtaposition of these historically significant buildings.
The Wilmington Trust Company
"Oil Tanks", 1976, Guttenberg, New Jersey
Just after graduating from college, I won a competition to paint 135 oil tanks on the Hudson River. There was an apartment complex that had a magnificent view of Manhattan, but was marred by an oil tank farm directly underneath that would have to remain for 4 years. My priority was to address the issues of the various sizes and haphazard placement of the tanks and the fact that from an apartment window, a viewer would see a few tanks at a time. Color was the solution. I painted the tanks colors found nature that changed gradually. Because of this gradual shift, an apartment dweller would see a slice of the whole that made sense. I painted each tank with a yin and yang pattern, that unified these disparate shapes and gave a sense of movement when viewed from a car, boat or train. They were visible from the Empire State building, and were demolished after four years.