Elizabeth Leese
Norwegian rosmaling
Greenbank, WA
Elizabeth Leese, who resides in Greenbank, is a master of a traditional style of
Norwegian painting called Rosemaling. Rosemaling is usually painted using oil paints on
wood. The art form originated in the lowland areas of eastern Norway around 1750 when
such styles as Baroque and Rococo where introduced into that rural area. The artist
paints patterns in traditional colors and styles, usually with floral designs. As
Washington has a large Norwegian population rosemaling has been a popular art form for
celebrating Norwegian cultural indentity.
As a recipient of a 2001 Apprenticeship grant, Leese taught Kitty Stewart Rosemaling.
Leese focused her teachings on the style of Rosemaling used in the Rogaland province of
Norway. Within the framework of the Rogaland style, Leese’s teaching focused on elements
of design, shading, and line work. She also taught how to build and prepare boxes and
trays, to create backgrounds in traditional colors and styles, designs, and Norwegian
cultural sayings and costuming.