Elizabeth Dryden

Texas native Elizabeth Dryden is a Contemporary Southwest Artist making a wave and grabbing the attention of the Western art scene and beyond. The many layers intertwined together in her mixed media work make each piece a lawless mystery to unfold. While colorful and lively in spirit, there are volumes of information to be discovered below the textured surface. Dryden is inspired by the mystery of the desert as a whole but focuses her artwork on the enchanting and indestructible flora and fauna that reside there.

The subjects of Dryden’s work are primarily cacti and indigenous animals, which she uses metaphorically to express various life virtues hidden within the brushstrokes of paint and various paper and textured mediums. The natural beauty of the American Southwest and Western lifestyle has always fascinated Dryden. She breaks down subjects and themes into a magical exploration of color and shape. Further exploring cacti and various desert inhabitants in bright, vibrant Southwest scenes, she combines the paradoxes between longstanding traditional ideals against modern society. Buffalo Bill Cody, Dryden’s ancestor, holds the “Wild West” dear to her heart, often choosing the subject of bison in her work.

Dryden, a sixth generation Texan, grew up in Dallas and has recently married a professional bronc rider Cody Martin, and moved to Grand Junction, CO. As a signature member of the Cowgirl Artists of America and having participated in several past Art of the Cowgirl events, she is hopeful to use her creativity to celebrate the life of the cowgirl once again in Arizona!