A Life Lived Through Art
A tribute to the much-loved artist whose creativity, warmth and love of painting live on through the work she leaves behind.
The FLUX Review was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of artist Liz Pangrazi and her partner Craig, whose love and support played such an important part in her life and creative journey.
We had the pleasure of featuring Liz in an earlier interview, in which she shared her artistic journey, her inspirations and the exciting new developments in her work. A talented and largely self-taught artist, Liz brought extraordinary colour, imagination and personality to everything she created.
Based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, her artistic practice encompassed an impressive range of subjects and techniques, from landscapes, wildlife and intricate botanical compositions to expressive portraits and mixed-media works. Her paintings were often filled with vibrant colour and intricate detail, reflecting both her love of the natural world and her enthusiasm for exploring new ideas.
While her paintings earned her admiration and recognition, those closest to Liz remember her equally for her warmth, humour and generosity of spirit. Throughout her artistic career, Craig was by her side, encouraging her ambitions and supporting her creative endeavours.
Her sons, Josh and Jake, have shared a deeply personal tribute celebrating their mother’s life, her love of art and the special partnership she shared with Craig. In their own words, they reflect on the woman behind the paintings, the memories they cherish and their determination to keep her artistic legacy alive.
A Tribute from Josh and Jake
‘Self-taught artist! From a child, painting and creating new ideas has fed her positivity and soul.’
Those were our mum Liz Pangrazi’s own words, and we couldn’t think of a better way to begin telling her story.
Art wasn’t simply something our mum did. It was part of who she was.
From childhood onwards, she had an instinctive need to create. Entirely self-taught, she developed an extraordinary range of artistic skills over the years and was never afraid to experiment with something new. Whether it was a portrait, landscape, animal, mural or intricate trompe-l’œil, there seemed to be very little our mum couldn’t turn her hand to.
Her work could be delicate and peaceful one moment and wonderfully bold and colourful the next. Nature was a recurring inspiration, particularly trees, flowers, wildlife and the changing seasons. Her tree paintings became especially recognisable, often filled with colour, texture and tiny details that rewarded a closer look.
But our mum was never someone who wanted to stand still creatively.
Later in her career she began developing a striking new style of portraiture featuring famous cultural icons. Faces were combined with vibrant colour and mixed-media elements, with the subjects’ hair becoming almost a canvas within the canvas – filled with imagery, objects and references connected to that person’s life, character and story.
These pieces were unmistakably Liz.
They were bold, playful and incredibly detailed, and the style was really beginning to take off. It felt as though she had discovered another exciting chapter in her work, with so much more still to come.
More than the paintings
Our mum became a very well-known and much-loved artist locally, exhibiting her work and building relationships with customers, fellow artists and people who simply enjoyed seeing what she would create next.
But we believe a large part of that popularity came from her, rather than just her paintings.
Anyone who knew Mum will remember her bubbly personality, kindness and brilliant sense of humour. She loved meeting people and sharing her work, and she had an ability to bring warmth and positivity wherever she went.
Mum was also incredibly generous in the way she supported other artists. She would often encourage and uplift those who were struggling, lacked confidence or simply didn’t know how to get themselves or their work out there.
She would offer advice, share contacts and help other artists find opportunities to exhibit their work. In what can sometimes be a very competitive world, that generosity of spirit was something special. She genuinely wanted to see other people succeed and was always willing to help them along the way.
Behind so much of what Mum achieved was her husband Craig.
He was her biggest supporter and played an enormous part in helping her achieve what she did. Whether supporting exhibitions, encouraging her ideas or simply believing in her, he was beside her throughout the journey. Mum had the artistic vision and talent, but Craig helped give her the confidence and support to keep pursuing it.
It therefore feels impossible to tell the story of Mum’s artistic life without acknowledging him too.
We miss them both more than words can properly express.
Continuing our mum’s legacy
Although our mum is no longer here to create the next painting she’d undoubtedly already have been thinking about, her artwork means that something of her remains.
Every painting carries a little piece of her imagination, personality and love of creating.
As her sons, we want to make sure that doesn’t disappear.
We intend to continue our mum’s artistic legacy, to keep her work visible and to allow paintings that she put so much of herself into to find homes where they’ll continue to be seen, enjoyed and talked about.
That’s why having Mum’s work exhibited again means so much to us. It’s not simply about displaying or selling paintings. It’s about keeping Liz Pangrazi the artist alive through the work she left behind.
For anyone who connects with one of her pieces, owning an original Liz Pangrazi isn’t only an opportunity to own a piece of art. It becomes part of the continuation of her story – a story that we, as her sons, are incredibly proud to carry forward.
Our mum spent her life creating things that made people stop, look and smile. We hope her paintings will continue doing exactly that for many years to come.
We will forever be proud of everything our mum achieved and eternally grateful to Craig for the love and support he gave her along the way. They were a team in life, and the part they both played in this story will never be forgotten.
May you both rest in peace.
Love your boys.
Josh & Jake
Remembering Liz Through Her Art
When Liz spoke to The FLUX Review about her artistic practice, her enthusiasm for creating and her willingness to explore new ideas were evident throughout our conversation.
Although largely self-taught, she had developed a confident and distinctive approach through years of painting, experimentation and exhibiting her work. Rather than following a rigid process, she allowed each painting to develop intuitively, responding to the colours, forms and energy of the composition.
“My process is instinctive rather than structured,” she explained. “I usually begin with an idea inspired by a figure or a natural form, and then build the composition through layers of acrylic and sometimes collage.”
Nature remained an important influence throughout her career. The landscape surrounding her studio in Tunbridge Wells, together with her fascination with trees, flowers and organic forms, provided an enduring source of inspiration.
Yet Liz was equally passionate about developing her work in new directions. Her Female Icons collection represented an exciting chapter in her artistic journey, bringing together figurative painting, bold colour and intricate visual storytelling.
Featuring celebrated cultural figures including Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Amy Winehouse and Frida Kahlo, these portraits incorporated imagery and symbolism connected to each subject’s life. Inspired in part by Frida Kahlo, whose influence she had discovered in recent years, Liz explored the relationship between identity, emotion and the natural world.
“I do see it as a form of visual storytelling,” she told us. “I aim to create pieces that spark conversation and invite interpretation.”
The collection had recently expanded to include David Bowie, her first Male Icon, demonstrating once again her enthusiasm for experimenting and expanding her artistic horizons.
Revisiting our conversation with Liz is particularly poignant given the enthusiasm she expressed for her work and the future. She spoke of continuing to develop her figurative and nature-inspired paintings, experimenting with new compositions and colour combinations, and exhibiting her work across the South East.
Her sudden passing makes these reflections all the more moving. Liz was enjoying an exciting period of artistic development, with new ideas taking shape and a distinctive style that was gaining recognition. Although her creative journey was cut tragically short, the work she leaves behind is a wonderful reflection of her imagination, talent and lifelong passion for art.
Her sons’ determination to preserve her legacy feels especially meaningful in that context. Through the paintings she leaves behind, the ideas and stories that mattered to her will continue to reach new audiences.
For The FLUX Review, it was a pleasure to have featured Liz and to have shared something of her passion for painting with our readers. We are grateful to Josh and Jake for sharing such personal memories of their mother and for their commitment to ensuring that her work continues to be seen and appreciated.
Liz Pangrazi leaves behind a remarkable collection of paintings, each reflecting her imagination, curiosity and unmistakable love of creating. Through those works, and through the people who knew and loved her, her artistic spirit will continue to be celebrated.
Our heartfelt condolences go to Josh, Jake and everyone who loved Liz and Craig.
Read our original interview with Liz Pangrazi and explore more of her paintings on Instagram. You can also view a selection of Liz’s work on her friend and fellow artist Charlotte’s website who is helping her family keep Liz’s artwork and legacy alive. Her website is charlottecoeart.co.uk
