Beyond Your WHY

Meet Elizabeth Buckley

Her WHY is Mastery

Interviewed by WHY Institute Founder Dr. Gary Sanchez (Better Way)

Elizabeth Buckley is a second-generation tapestry artist and teacher of over 50 years. Her work evolved from using techniques of the Mexican and Rio Grande traditions to those of French tapestry. She further honed her skills in Aubusson, France at the atelier of Gisèle Brivet.

With her degree in art, Elizabeth brings to the classroom her deep grounding in design principles and color theory that specifically apply to tapestry. She draws from multiple tapestry traditions to provide her students with the techniques and vocabulary for finding and expressing their own unique voice.

Elizabeth Buckley’s tapestries have a lengthy exhibition history, including national and Canadian juried and invitational shows, as well as in museum exhibitions. Her work is in numerous private collections, and was featured in the Fiber Art Now article on “An Artist’s Sense of Place,” Fall 2017 issue. Her publications include: FiberArts Design Book V and Carol K. Russell’s The Tapestry Handbook: the Next Generation, and Contemporary International Tapestry. In 2011, Elizabeth was awarded the American Tapestry Alliance Award for Excellence in Tapestry. 

For Elizabeth Buckley, tapestry weaving is a universal, non-verbal language that transcends generations, cultures, and locale. 

“As I developed my verbal language skills in English as my primary language, and in French as my secondary language, my eyes and hands were becoming fluent in the non-verbal languages of woven structures and color. In many ways, the language of the loom became my mother tongue, as my initial thoughts tend to come as images, colors, textures and techniques before I translate them into words. I automatically think in this non-verbal language.”

You can connect with Elizabeth on her site, www.elizabethbuckleytapestryartist.com.