Hi, I’m Liz

Woman standing on a sandy beach wearing a yellow jacket, jeans, and boots, with water and distant land in the background under cloudy sky.
A group of four happy friends covered in colorful paint taking a selfie outdoors near a park with trees and a fence in the background.

My name is Liz and I live just outside of Vancouver, BC, Canada on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish People. I share my home with my partner Jeremy, my dog, my cat, and my daughter Hannah, when she’s home for a visit. In my everyday life I am a youth worker working with marginalized youth and families and had never considered myself an artist until very recently. I have always been a “craft dabbler,” but I dove head first into ceramics as part of my healing journey after the death of my daughter Haley to cancer in 2023.

Sunlight filtering through a dense forest of tall, thin trees with green foliage and undergrowth on the forest floor.

Emerging Oak

I have always felt a strong connection to the trees. I view our lives similarly to the life cycle of a tree - we start as a seed, growing deep roots that connect with our communities. Above ground, in the proper conditions, we sprout and wind our way upwards, getting bumps and bruises along the way, being blown around by storms, until finally we become strong and sturdy, capable of providing shade, shelter and food for those who come near. The name Emerging Oak reminds me that I am continuing to grow into a strong, sturdy and capable person every day, able to provide love and shelter for those I care about.

Why ceramics?

While I have dabbled in almost every craft you can imagine, ceramics seems to be the one that I am most easily able to express my ideas in. This is two fold;

Firstly, clay is such a tactile medium and infinitely changeable until I am ready to put it through the kiln. Being able to manipulate the clay in such a carefree way allows me the freedom to experiment with concepts and techniques until I feel that I have achieved what I am looking for.

Secondly, I have found the most incredible community of ceramicists at my local studio. They have been warm and welcoming, supporting me at whatever stage of my journey I am in.

A sculpture of a face expressing anger or shouting, with furrowed brows, squinted eyes, an open mouth showing teeth, and a protruding tongue, set against a dark background.

Yes, I do take commissions and custom orders!