Elizabeth Geisler is an award-winning Bay Area painter, with a background in printmaking, photography, music, and film. Best known for her water reflection paintings, Geisler creates images that reside somewhere between photorealism and abstraction. Up close, the color use and brushwork read as abstraction, but from a distance, they blend into a more representational depiction. She often uses intense colored underpaintings that show through in varying degrees in the finished piece, which provides an added depth to her paintings. Geisler is intrigued by the intricate patterns on the water surface and how they can convey both movement and stillness. In some cases, it seems as if these reflections create an alternate reality to what we see on land or in the sky. However, beneath the surface, there is a psychological element to why she is drawn to paint water. For Geisler, water represents life, as we cannot survive without it, and it literally flows through all of us. It is a constant that connects us to each other. When she is painting water, it is a meditative and sometimes, cathartic process. She focuses on highlighting the beauty of the abstract composition nature provides, while conjuring the almost musical rhythm of the water and its restorative properties. Geisler’s work has shown in group and solo exhibitions throughout the United States and can be found in collections worldwide. She began painting at a young age, and while still in high school, was awarded a life drawing scholarship to the Otis College of Art and Design. In college she studied both visual arts and mass communications, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA. She continued her art studies at the San Francisco Art Institute, Barnsdall Art College, and the City College of San Francisco. Born in Los Angeles, Geisler now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and works out of her studio in Sausalito, CA. EDUCATION 1986 BA, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, University of California at Los Angeles 1987 - 2010 San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA; City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Barnsdall Art College, Los Angeles, CA 1981 Otis College of Art and Design SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS 2019 Throckmorton Theatre, “Fluid Thoughts”, Mill Valley, CAHomestead Valley Community Center, “Pause and Reflect”, Mill Valley, CA 2018 Mill Valley Community Center, “The Ripple Effect”, Mill Valley, CA Abode Marin, “Ebb & Flow”, Larkspur, CA 2017 Desta Gallery, “East West Rhythmical Harmony”, San Anselmo, CA 2016 Tiburon Peninsula Club, Tiburon, CA 2015 The Gail Van Dyke Atrium Gallery, Greenbrae, CA Belvedere-Tiburon Library, “Water Patterns”, Tiburon, CA McGuire Real Estate, Mill Valley, CA 2010 Belvedere-Tiburon Library, “Above and Below”, Tiburon, CA MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS2020 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, “Left Coast”, Novato, CA (Juror: Ken Harmon Hashimoto, Hashimoto Contemporary, San Francisco and New York) 2017 Triton Museum, “Salon at the Triton”, Santa Clara, CA 2010 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, “Private Eyes: Artists’ Visions”, Novato, CA, (Juror: Andrea Schwartz, Andrea Schwartz Gallery, San Francisco, CA) GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2024 Lymelight Foundation, “Dart for Art”, San Mateo, CA 2023 Sebastopol Center for the Arts, “Color of Water”, Sebastopol, CALymelight Foundation, “Dart for Art”, San Mateo, CAO’Hanlon Center for the Arts, “Art & Ecology”, Mill Valley, CAStephanie Breitbard Fine Arts, “Annual Trunk Show”, San Francisco, CA 2022 The Cove, “ICB Art at the Cove”, Tiburon, CA O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, “Women Making Their Mark”, Mill Valley, CA (Jurors: Donna Seager & Suzanne Gray, Seager Gray Gallery, Mill Valley, CA)Lymelight Foundation, “Dart for Art”, San Mateo, CA 2021 James May Gallery, “Art of Water V”, Algoma, WI O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, “Women Making Their Mark”, Mill Valley, CA (Jurors: Donna Seager & Suzanne Gray, Seager Gray Gallery, Mill Valley, CA) 2020 Lymelight Foundation, “Dart for Art”, San Mateo, CA 2019 Simon Brietbard Fine Arts, “Annual Trunk Show”, San Francisco, CALymelight Foundation, “Dart for Art”, San Mateo, CAArc Gallery, “Bridge to Abstraction”, San Francisco, CAArt Design Consultants, “Art Comes Alive”, Cincinnati, OHFe Gallery, “Pattern and Abstraction”, Sacramento, CAArt League of Hilton Head, “Biennale”, Hilton Head Island, SCBlue Line Arts, “Crocker-Kingsley Biennial Competition”, Roseville, CA, (Juror: David Pagel, contributing art critic, Los Angeles Times & art professor, Claremont Graduate University) 2018 Marin Community Foundation, "Marin Open Studios 25th Anniv. Exhibition," Novato, CA(Curated by Micah LeBrun, MCF and 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA)O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, "Bay Area Women Artists", Mill Valley, CA(Jurors: Donna Seager & Suzanne Gray, Seager Gray Gallery, Mill Valley, CA)Marin Society of Artists, “Fresh Art”, San Rafael, CA(Juror: Chester Arnold, artist)Simon Brietbard Fine Arts, “Annual Trunk Show”, San Francisco, CAMill Valley Outdoor Art Club, “Marin Masters”, Mill Valley, CA San Ramon Valley Conference Center, “Patterns in Nature”, San Ramon, CA Lymelight Foundation, “Dart for Art”, San Mateo, CA 2017 Joyce Gordon Gallery, “Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series – Regional Finalists”, Oakland, CAO’Hanlon Center for the Arts, “Essence of Water”, Mill Valley, CAMills Pond Gallery, “The Color of Night”, St. James, NY(Juror: Tim Newton, Chairman of the Board, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY)O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, “Bay Area Women Artists”, Mill Valley, CA(Jurors: Donna Seager & Suzanne Gray, Seager Gray Gallery, Mill Valley, CA)SFWA Gallery, “Abstracted”, San Francisco, CA(Juror: Mary Mocus, Mocus Group Art Consultants, San Francisco, CA)Simon Brietbard Fine Arts, “Annual Trunk Show”, San Francisco, CAUSCF Women’s Health Center, “Serenity”, San Francisco, CARuby Living, “Landscapes”, Mill Valley, CALymelight Foundation, “Dart for Art”, San Mateo, CAStudio Gallery, “Night Light”, San Francisco, CAMarin County Fair, Fine Art Exhibition, San Rafael, CA 2016 The Midway, “Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series – Regional Finalists”, San Francisco, CASFWA Gallery, “Artist Choice”, San Francisco, CA(Juror: Matt McKinley, McKinley Art Solutions)O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, “Bay Area Women Artists”, Mill Valley, CA(Jurors: Donna Seager & Suzanne Gray, Seager Gray Gallery, Mill Valley, CA)Marin County Fair, Fine Art Exhibition, San Rafael, CA Falkirk Galleries, “Spring Inspiration Open Juried Exhibition ”, San Rafael, CAPacific Art League, “Fur, Feathers and Fins”, Palo Alto, CA Toadfish Gallery, Sausalito, CA 2015 Blue Line Arts, “Crocker-Kingsley Biennial Competition”, Roseville, CA, (Juror: Gregory Kondos, artist) Studio Gallery, “Tiny”, San Francisco, CA Google Gallery, San Francisco, CA San Ramon Valley Conf. Center, “Bay Lights”, San Ramon, CA, (Curated by Slate Art) Studio Gallery, “City Streets”, San Francisco, CA Studio Gallery, “Terrain”, San Francisco, CA 2014 Studio Gallery, “Tiny”, San Francisco, CA Gallery 305, Mill Valley, CA 2011 Pacific Art League, “Scapes”, National Competition & Exhibition, Palo Alto, CA (Juror: Maria Medua, director, SF Museum of Modern Art Artists Gallery at Fort Mason) 2010 Pacific Art League, “Painting Only”, National Competition & Exhibition, Palo Alto, CA (Juror: Charles Hespe, Hespe Gallery, San Francisco, CA) SOMArts Gallery, “Art Launch”, San Francisco, CA Artist Xchange Gallery, “Layers of Abstraction”, San Francisco, CA Artist Xchange Gallery, “Views of the City”, San Francisco, CA AWARDS & HONORS 2022 Creative Quarterly, “100 Best of 2021” 2021 Creative Quarterly, “100 Best of 2020” 2018 Marin Magazine, May 2018 Issue, Cover Contest Winner Top 25 Featured Artist for Marin Open Studios (Juror: Renee Baldocchi, former Director of Programs, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco) Creative Quarterly, No. 49-50, Fine Art Winner 2017 Marin Magazine, “Get Covered” finalist, May 2017 Issue Special Sponsored Award, Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA 2016 Juror’s Award, “Artist Choice”, SFWA Gallery, San Francisco, CA(Juror: Matt McKinley, McKinley Art Solutions) “Nature Inspired: Autumn”, published anthology of art and creative writing(Five pieces selected: “Autumn Reprise”, “Remnants of a Dream”, “Embers in the Shallows”, “Autumn Con Sordina”, “Afterglow”) 2010 Juror’s Award, “Painting Only”, National Competition & Exhibition, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA (Juror: Charles Hespe, Hespe Gallery, San Francisco, CA) 1982 Merit Scholar for Fine Arts, Bank of America, Los Angeles, CA 1981 Life-drawing Scholarship, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA PUBLICATIONS: 2023 Luxe Magazine, Nov/Dec Issue – “Ripple Effect”2022 Creative Quarterly, “100 Best of 2021” Creative Quarterly, No. 66, Fine Art Winner2021 Bay Area Artists, published by Jen Tough Gallery2020 Creative Quarterly, “100 Best 2020”2019 Creative Quarterly, No. 54, Fine Art Winner Crocker Kinglsey Biennial Competition Catalog Art League of Hilton Head Biennale Catalog2018 Marin Magazine, “Life as Art” featured Cover Artist, May 2018 Issue Creative Quarterly, No. 49-50, Fine Art Winner2017 Marin Magazine, “Fine Lines” featured finalist, May 2017 Issue2016 Nature Inspired: Autumn, published anthology of art and creative writing (five pieces selected)2015 The Ark, “Strawberry painter works with refrains of music, water and light”, Vol. 43, Issue 34 Crocker Kinglsey Biennial Competition Catalog