Elizabeth Herkstroter was born and raised in the Netherlands countryside.  She decided to be a sculptor following a visit to the Musee Rodin in Paris in her teens, and during her further education at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Academy Minerva in Groningen, Holland, she made frequent working visits to Carrara in Italy.  She has lived in England since 1990 and her work has been shown at the Mall Galleries, The Royal Academy (Summer Exhibition) and Gallery Kohler in London.  

Elizabeth loves the timelessness of stone, “It has got such an ancient feel.  It can be stubborn but I love the laborious work that goes with it.”  The beauty, balance and sense of proportion to be found in nature are Elizabeth’s inspiration, and in particular the mysticism she finds there, “… where the language stops and a world starts where words have no meaning.  That is where I start working, that is my domain”.  She loves koans, Zen Buddhist riddles which help to focus the mind during meditation and develop intuitive thinking, and she sometimes reflects them in the titles of her sculptures.

Music by Faure, Debussy, Satie, and Gregorian Chant are also important, helping to open doors and offer possibilities. Elizabeth strives for elegance and lightness in her work.  The poise and serenity of her sculptures radiates throughout their space in the garden.  “I love a perfect finish.  The more perfect the more non-worldly it becomes”.

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http://www.gardengallery.uk.com/cms/index.php/component/morfeoshow/view/2