about the artist & her work

ABOUT the ART

To distill emotions or thoughts churning in my mind, I choose a word. Its definition is the spark that informs my search for visual counterparts. Sitting on the floor with piles of paper surrounding me, I shuffle through pictures waiting for that internal “aha”. A compilation of interconnected imagery forms.

Let’s take STAY as an example. I love the interplay of definitions: To remain in the same place, to stop or delay something, to prop up, and the power of endurance. A map of the Hudson River provides a sense of location through both time and space, the botanical apple illustration adds a touch of vanitas, the children’s book illustration relates to both the fleeting nature of life and inevitable change, and the tree trunk represents longevity and provides support.

With the application of paint, whether semi-transparent washes or textural brushstrokes, a back-and-forth ensues between obscuring and revealing meaning. I enhance moods through color, making a work serene or energized. Brushwork and linear accents add to a sense of ease or agitation.

Collage, as a medium, allows for the chaotic fragments of my inner self to coalesce into a tangible whole. To paint over a collage enables me to seek balance. The intrigue of what lies beneath draws you in and provokes contemplation.

ABOUT the ARTIST

Liv Hansen is an artist, author, and former cake decorator.

After receiving a BFA in painting from Cornell University she turned her eye for color and composition to the pastry arts. As head decorator at her mother’s bakery (the Riviera Bakehouse in Ardsley, NY), she experimented with the mediums of chocolate and buttercream.

Together with her mom, Kaye Hansen, they authored four cookbooks in the Whimsical Bakehouse series published by Random House.

Throughout her years as a cake decorator and bakery owner (The Riviera Bakehouse and The Bakehouse of Tarrytown) painting has remained a constant. She exhibited her work through the 1990’s and early 2000’s, but in later years the demands of her career took precedent.

Liv has appeared in numerous TV and web programs: the Today Show, Food Network’s Halloween Gingerbread Challenge, Famous Fat Dave’s, Channel 12 News, and over 20 Betty Crocker instructional videos.

Her edible art has been featured in several publications and books including The New York Times, The Journal News, New York Magazine, Chocolatier Magazine, Nick Jr Magazine, Extreme Cakes Calendars, The Perfect Wedding Cake.

Her painted collages are in private collections across the country.

2024 Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, NY, Imperfectly Perfect
2010 Garner Arts Center, Garnerville NY, Group Show
2002-2005 Refresh, Nyack, NY, ongoing installation of works for sale, Nyack, NY
1999 Hopper House, Nyack, NY, 3-woman show: Leslie Ann Bostrum, Liv Hansen, and Beth Wesson
1996-1998 Left Bank Gallery, Wellfleet, MA, Small Works
1996 Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, NY, Tomorrow (one of a 3-part series: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow)
1996 Main Street Arts, Nyack, NY, Art Salad
1994 Silvermine Gallery, New Canaan, CT, 45th Annual – Art of the Northeast
1992-1999 permanent installation of artwork, Abbicci Restaurant, Yarmouthport, MA