1932-2005

Elizabeth Delson, who preferred the name Liz, was a painter and printmaker who concentrated on many subjects including mythology, classical literature, marine life and nature, but also generated work in other areas. She was quoted in the May 1966 issue of Civic News as saying "I am trying to express change – life and death, growth and decay, things beginning and things ending." Delson was born on August 15, 1932 in North Plainfield, New Jersey, the daughter of German immigrant parents, both of whom were chemists. She graduated from Smith College, studied with Philip Guston and Richard Lindner at Pratt Institute, studied printmaking with Gabor Peterdi at Hunter College, studied with Letterio Calapai at the New School and also studied with Krishna Reddy at New York University. She lived with her husband Sidney Delson, first in Brooklyn, and later in East Hampton, Long Island.

Delson printed all of her work herself and had a press in her studio at home—later in her work she owned an etching press built by Charles Brand. She felt very strongly that the act of printing a plate was also a part of the art process and she also took very seriously the act of titling her prints, never giving “untitled” to any of her works. She created editions for the Associated American Artists, won two Audubon Artists Gold Medals and two Pen and Brush Club awards. She did much of her work as etchings, but also created many oil paintings and experimented with engravings, embossing, hand coloring, lithography, and aquatints. Some of her etching work involved relief images created from the plate, but without ink alongside inked etchings tied into the similar theme.

In addition to her interest in printmaking, she was also involved in community service aspects in art. She was co-founder of the Park Slope Annual Art Exhibitions, a charter member of the Contemporary Artists Guild and served on the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Museum Community Gallery and the Artists Alliance of East Hampton. She died in East Hampton on October 3, 2005.