Elizabeth Gilkison’s accolades reads like the resume of an old art master. Although a few years ago she carried the title teenager, this young prodigy started making her mark on the art world at age five. Elizabeth’s mother recalled taking Elizabeth’s work to an elementary school teacher. After observing the artworks, the teacher told Elizabeth’s mother to have her meet this talented 6th grade student. One can imagine the teacher’s astonishment when she was told that it was a five-year-old girl who did the artworks.
At 10 years old, she knew she wanted to be an animator. Her break would come in high school, and so did the awards. High School had an animation program with lots of resources, and like a fine artist with her favorite canvas, she began laying works that only parallel genius.
Elizabeth recalled being invited to Paramount Studios as a team of 10 students to compete in a grueling competition, The World Animation Marathon. The competitors from around the world were considered the best of the best, and her team would sit on a sound stage for ten hours before the competition was over. Initially, they were told a theme, given a subject, and that the animation should play for 30 seconds. At the end of the competition her team was victorious.
This was one of her most memorable achievements during high school. Next she placed her stamp on Sacramento’s Museum, the Crocker Art Museum, as one of the first to display animation. Many awards follow these accomplishments, including first place in the Junior Division Art Exhibit at the California State Fair.
After an incredible high School experience, she moved on to college and studied animation and concept design. She has since worked for a number of noted graphics organizations as illustrator, graphic designer, and web designer; to name a few of her acquired artistic skills. Now her works are based on full inclusive concept designs, designs that are influence by the old great Renaissance artists.
She enjoys the physiological correctness of the Renaissance artists of the past. She appreciates the depths of their study. She argued that those artists were accurate in their calculations, they dissect cadavers’ to see the muscles and their functions, where the muscles connected to the bones, and how they worked together to create movement. It is this kind of investigation that has led to the physical correctness of spectacular figure drawings, paintings, and sculpture. These are the principles that now governed her passion and purpose to create unique beings.
As a concept designer, she enjoyed creating species that mirrored life. When she designs, her creatures are based mainly on functionality. She looks on the biological possibility of the creatures’ movements. She explained, “If this muscle is here, it is suppose to be able to do this. If I do this, how is going to move? How is it going to look realistic?” For her, these creations do not have to be human like or animal like, but they need to make sense.
She will one day visit Rome, Great Britain, Japan. For in these countries lies the evolutionary answer of anatomy, fairies and pop cultures, all the ingredients to further fuel her concepts.
Elizabeth is currently working on a number of projects, one of which is the second comic series titled Melty Brain. You can check out a few of her creations on the artist page and go to www.egilkison.com for her portfolio.
