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Liz Hodder has always been engaged in artistic activities. In early adulthood, Hodder had a successful music career as a singer-songwriter. After a hiatus—related to family life—she swapped music for visual art. Hodder’s mediums include ceramics, textiles, paintings, and surface design.
Hodder grew up in Virginia. For her sixth birthday, she received a membership to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Hodder says she lacked the confidence to study art and music at university.
“I actually applied to art school and didn’t go,” she says. “I've just learned how to figure stuff out.”
Hodder moved to Nashville from Maine in 1993 and worked gigs that supplemented her job as a musician.
“I’ve had like 50 different jobs,” Hodder says. “I was a baker, I was a breakfast cook, I was all sorts of things because that allowed me to make enough money that I could live and then play and write music at night.”
Hodder eventually married and moved to California. She took elective classes in painting and ceramics at California College of the Arts but primarily focused on being a full-time mom.
“Any sort of musical pursuits just went to the back burner,” she says. “In some ways, it was conscious, but in other ways, maybe it wasn’t. I don’t know. But I started making art, which is something I always did, even while I was making music.”
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The demise of her marriage brought great introspection. Hodder dove deep, focusing on making art for the purpose of clarity, voice, and direction.
Hodder’s work is deeply rooted in nature. Her surface design projects begin with painting, often on fabric. She then takes an image of the painting and uses it to create a repeat pattern.
“When you look at a sand dollar,” Hodder says. “Each one is absolutely unique—yet it’s a sand dollar. There’s a pattern of shapes.”
Hodder doesn’t color correct her surface design pieces.
“There are flaws and mistakes and gradations,” she says. “It looks handmade because it has been made by hand as a painting.”
She prints using a non-toxic, eco-friendly digital process on materials including organic cotton, linen, canvas, and silk crepe de chine.
Hodder recently showcased tunics, frocks, and scarves at the Pure London fashion trade show. At the American Handcrafted show, she won Best New to Market. Hodder also recently made a second appearance at SURTEX, New York City’s premier event for sourcing original artwork, prints, and patterns. Her 2019 showing resulted in a licensing deal with Primitives by Kathy for home décor.
“This has helped me get really clear because I’ve been doing two different paths,” Hodder says. “What I want to do is focus on home goods moving forward, and then do scarves or frocks for museums and also for special events or do it as a limited run.”
Hodder hopes to also dive back into music within the next few years.