Meet the Artist: Liz Cox

By Amber Ford, The Mountain Times

The Mt. Hood Villages and Mt. Hood National Forest are home to many creatives who seek inspiration and refuge in the beauty that is their backyard. But one lifelong local has taken her residence and not only used it as inspiration for her artwork, but has created and designed pieces that give meaning, direction, and knowledge to her beloved community. Mt. Hood Villages resident Liz Cox is not only a gifted artist, but is also using her skills as an instructor at Mt. Hood Community College.

A well-rounded artist in terms of her interests and skill, Cox finds herself fascinated with all forms of art. “I've been interested in learning all types of art, but I find myself most comfortable creating hand-drawn or digitally rendered artwork,” Cox said. “I love to draw on my tablet for my cartography business or as a graphic designer creating fun things like stickers,” Cox added. 

With a degree in Geographic Information Systems [G.I.S.], Cox found herself struggling to find a career path suited towards art and education after graduation. “I was often told the job of "cartographer" didn't really exist anymore,” Cox said. “So I made my own job as cartographer,” Cox added. Although map creation seems more like a scientific process, creativity is still required for facts and statistics to go from mind to paper. “I want to create maps that give some sort of call-to-action,” Cox said. “What I think makes a mapmaker great is having the artistic vision to take the data that's being communicated and enhance it to be visually striking,” Cox added.

Although Cox went to college  specifically for cartography, art in general has always been a large part of who she is. Since childhood, Cox has been surrounded by art and artists. “I credit my artistic beginnings to my late grandma, Jody Bushman,” Cox said. “She was a prominent Welches community member and a professional painter. Visiting my grandma in her home art studio up here were some of my favorite times. It's also why Mt. Hood has such a fondness in my heart,” Cox added. Inheriting the passion for creativity from her grandmother, Cox has dabbled in other art forms as well – one of her favorites being music. “Growing up I knew I wanted to play in the London Symphony Orchestra as a flute player and think I put more into that passion than anything else in my life,” Cox said. “I played in youth symphonies outside of high school band and was even lucky enough to be able to join a touring orchestra in Europe for a few weeks and experienced seven beautiful countries! When I realized continuing on the path of a musician meant being fiercely competitive, I no longer wanted that for myself,” Cox added.

Growing up near the Mt. Hood National Forest has its perks for an artist and cartographer, and Cox feels deeply connected to her roots and to the inspiration it provides. “A lot of my inspiration comes from vintage National Forest Service pieces - maps, old signage, etc., Cox said. “People are drawn to nostalgia, especially when life feels too overwhelming. I think a lot of us tend to reflect upon memory to find comfort, the times when life felt a little less scary. A lot of those memories people have are experienced in nature. I think that's why I am often called toward the retro, nostalgic, nature-focused pieces of art. I am inspired to make my artwork reflect that as well,” Cox added.