8 Female Artists to Follow + Support.

8 Female Artists to Follow
Karin Olah in her studio

As you probably know by now but just in case you missed it: this month I worked on putting together a digital show of sorts with Liz Lidgett and her incredible gallery. Liz and I have a bit of a mutual appreciation society and I am such a fan of hers! One thing I have always loved about Liz and her gallery is her dedication to seeking out and supporting incredible female artists. I also really appreciate her commitment to educating the general public (me) about art, why it matters, how to collect, etc. I’ve learned so much from her and loved the Q&A post that she did for me a couple weeks ago… it’s an incredible resource for anyone looking to learn more about art and collecting, or thinking about making their first big art purchase!

But anyway, Liz represents so many amazing, talented artists, many of whom are featured in our little show… today I wanted to share a few of my personal favorites. Also: we refreshed the page with a few new pieces… if you use code Grace you can take 10% off any of the featured pieces.

While I have you: 6 Black artists I love, + 10 amazing artists to know.

8 Female Artists to Follow + Support

Holy Water / Holey Jeans by Allison James | 8 Female Artists to Follow
Holy Water / Holey Jeans by Allison James

Allison James

I have been a fan of Allison James’ work for a while now: she was actually one of our guests at our Atlanta Bad on Paper live show a few years back. I love her bold, colorful paintings – they are both gritty and playful. Allison has been painting since she can remember. She studied at Georgia Southern University where she received a Bachelor of Fine Art in Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking. Follow Allison on Instagram.

Lesley Grainger gallery | 8 Female Artists to Follow

Lesley Grainger

I found Lesley Grainger’s work via Liz’s gallery and immediately fell in love. I love her bold, abstract, colorful pieces. Lesley was born in Yorkshire, England, where she grew up in a small Northern fishing town, and currently resides in Orange County, California. She began her career as a graphic designer, then produced children’s books and licensed artwork, but has focused on abstract painting for the past ten years. Follow Lesley on Instagram.

Karin Olah painting

Karin Olah

Karin Olah’s pieces are so special – I love how she works textiles into her paintings! She combines hand-dyed fabric and paint to create her signature multi-layered (mostly landscape) paintings. And she paints everything from seascapes to farmscapes and abstract expressionism. She is currently based in Charleston and I should note that her pieces are really reasonably priced! Follow Karin on Instagram.

oo many expectations by fares micue
too many expectations by fares micue

Fares Micue

I fell in love with Fares Micue’s work pretty much immediately when I saw this photo (I ended up ordering it from Liz, it is aptly titled Too Many Expectations and reminds me of that statement, “my brain has too many tabs open right now.” Fares is a self-portrait based in Las Palmas, Spain and I cannot believe that she is self-taught. Her work is full of symbolism from the colors and props to the body language. Follow Fares on Instagram.
Michelle Armas art

Michelle Armas

Of all the artists featured in today’s post, Michelle is the one I’ve loved/supported/known of the longest… I think my sister first shared her work with me ten years ago or so? She grew up in Texas, surrounded by a vibrant Spanish family and now lives with her daughter and husband in Atlanta. I absolutely love everything she does, especially her totems (watching her paint on Instagram is one of my favorite ways to de-sress!). Follow Michelle on Instagram.

Betsy Enzensberger art

Betsy Enzensberger

I first learned about Betsy Enzensberger via Stephanie Roberts (they did a collab together a year or two ago) and immediately bought a rainbow popsicle sculpture – it just made me happy! Betsy was born and raised in New York and now resides in LA.  I love this quote from her about her work. “Resin – I love it. It’s beautiful, sexy, mysterious. It’s also toxic, messy, and annoyingly exhausting to create. However, I enjoy the challenges that resin presents. There’s just something about it I can’t resist. If the process was easy, I wouldn’t be doing it.” Follow Betsy on Instagram.

Elisa Sheehan

Elisa Sheehan

The first time I saw one of Elisa Sheehan’s pieces (on Liz’s instagram!), my jaw actually dropped – I love what she does and have never seen anything like it! Inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi (where broken pottery is repaired with gold, and rather than hiding the break or flaw it is highlighted!), she does these incredible eggshell paintings (many of which include gold leaf “cracks.” Really unique and special. Follow Elisa on Instagram.

Marine Layer by Katie Craig | 8 Female Artists to Follow
Marine Layer by Katie Craig

Katie Craig

As a major fan of stripes (duh) I immediately fell in love with Katie Craig’s work, especially her bold colorful stripe pieces like the one above… I really love the color combinations she chose to use; they’re unexpected and manage to be both playful and elegant. It’s worth noting that if you can’t afford an original but love her work, she also has a shop on Minted. Katie grew up in California but now lives in Texas with her family. Follow Katie on Instagram.

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8 Comments

  1. CG:

    Yes! Love this content! Supporting women AND supporting artists checks so many boxes for me

    7.21.21 Reply
  2. Monica:

    I would also recommend checking out Merrill Morrison’s artwork, another female artist! The pieces are so beautiful framed.

    https://www.instagram.com/merrillmorrisonart/
    https://www.merrillmorrison.com/portfolio-paper-artwork

    7.21.21 Reply
  3. Lisa Autumn:

    Thank you for the inspo!

    Lisa | lisaautumn.com

    7.21.21 Reply
  4. Erin:

    This is such a great post. I just moved into a new home and have been itching to invest in some art!

    7.21.21 Reply
  5. Dani:

    Please check out my artwork on Instagram @abstractsbydani

    5.13.22 Reply
  6. Crissy:

    I have been following Karin Olah since this was posted last year, and I just made my first purchase of her art from the Liz Ledgett Gallery! Thank you, Grace!

    5.23.22 Reply
    • grace at the stripe:

      YAY that makes me so happy to hear, congratulations on the purchase.

      5.23.22 Reply
  7. Dani Wilson:

    Please check out my artwork on Instagram @abstractsbydani

    Thank you!

    6.14.22 Reply