(Original bio: Written in 1995 by Bill Berle)


Elizabeth Koval's bright and energetic art will likely redefine the standards that new artists are judged by. Her vibrant colors, unmatched attention to detail, and enormous range of styles unashamedly contrast much of today's lukewarm "Commercialism". This immensely talented young artist can capture a dream or explore the tranquil spirituality of nature in one piece, yet flush out our most powerful emotions in another with mystic symbolism and the sheer force of color. With little or no formal training, her work leaps nevertheless into our mind's eye and defies us to forget the power and emotions of her images. Koval's work often brings together realism and ancient mythology, as in "Kibo". This beautiful piece depicts the centuries old Japanese superstition of a thousand paper cranes bringing good luck. "Kibo" pays homage to this cultural symbol, then brings the paper birds to life and lets them soar into reality.

The artist's work ventures into the real and then a bit further, without sacrificing the natural beauty or texture to extremes. "Mythical Stone Gardens" is a series of four mythological creatures, each in the color of one distinct stone. Koval's Phoenix, Griffin, Pegasus, and Unicorn take to life as amethyst, thulite, malichite, and tourmaline. It is here that the power and emotion of color is used to illuminate the strengths and personalities of these mythical animals. She leaps from the vivid fantasy of this series to the peace and serenity of "Beauty Of The Bonsai", another series of four pieces where we enter a plesant trance, both respectful of the Bonsai's solemn dignity and in tune with the ancient living spirit within. The passing of the torch across generations is theme to "Tangu No Sekku", a traditional oriental piece that makes audible the unspoken words on a holiday outing. Here, we see the ancient Japanese fascination with the kite, but even more importantly the bringing of a father and son together in a special moment of kinship.

Her different works have been described as Organic, Naturalistic, and Super Realistic, but to cast Elizabeth Koval's art into any one category is impossible because of the delicious variations in style and substance. Koval is equally talented working with brush, the airbrush, and in gouache, watercolor, acrylic, and ink. More than one of these methods and /or media are usually brought together in each piece. She studied 2 dimentional design and airbrush art in college, earning an Associate of Arts degree from Los Angeles Pierce college. Over fifteen pieces have been commissioned either privately or by corporations, ranging from portraits to fantasy paintings, to business images and wearable art. Her work has won multiple awards at the "Western States Craft and Hobby Association" competition held at the Orange County Fairgrounds. 26 year old Elizabeth Koval lives in Los Angeles with her husband, musical composer Ken Maffeo.