
Beautiful. Elizabeth Mayton, artist
By Gina Malone
Elizabeth Mayton was born in Atlanta into a family of members who express themselves in many creative ways, and so it was no surprise when she began creating as a toddler. “My mother told me that I started drawing images when I was really little, probably a little over two years old,” she says. “My first drawings were probably of our pet cats. They look like amoebas with eyes and whiskers. She and my family remember me always drawing and creating things.”

Red and Pink Flowers. Elizabeth Mayton, artist
When she was three years old, it was determined that Mayton was deaf in her left ear and, in her right, had severe hearing loss, mainly with high frequencies. Until the discovery and subsequently being fitted with a hearing aid, she had not spoken. Over the years, with speech therapy, she learned to communicate and developed a passion for special education. During undergraduate studies in Art History with a minor in Visual Art, she explored drawing, design, metalsmithing, ceramics and sculpture. In 2006, she obtained a Masters degree in Deaf Education so that she could work with students. Her work involves traveling among public schools in a district for one-on-one work with students requiring specific instruction as well as working with teachers on how to accommodate the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Through the years, however, she has always made time for art. “I believe my deafness is what inspired me to draw and create images starting at a very young age,” she says. “It was my way of expressing myself without having to talk. I can relax and just focus on creating. I did a lot of portraits of family members, friends, pets, plants, landscapes, still life, whatever I found interesting.” Growing up, she spent many summers at her grandfather’s apple orchard exploring the outdoors. “This exposed me to so many beautiful and interesting things nature has to offer,” she says. “I drew a lot of what I saw and experienced. I even made a little space where I would draw in the corner of this old barn; my first studio. The walls would be covered in my drawings, and I had a little table filled with art materials and things I found in nature, such as sticks, rocks, feathers and, of course, apples. I would incorporate what I found in my art and draw them.”

The Hearing Aid Peddler. Elizabeth Mayton, artist
In high school, an art teacher inspired her to push herself as an artist. “She encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and try different things,” Mayton says. “I remember learning that the tool is not as important as how we use the tool. You can use the most expensive paintbrush made of the best material, but it does not guarantee that it will help you create your best work. In one class, we tried different materials found in nature—pinecones, pine straw, sticks. I made a paintbrush out of leaves and made prints using various rocks. I was surprised by the amazing textures they created. It was fun. Whenever I feel stuck, I will try different mediums or materials to help inspire new ideas.”
In the years she has been creating, Mayton has welcomed change in her work. “I expect to keep evolving over time,” she says. “I am always learning and willing to try new things. I think it is important to not get stuck on one idea or style.”
Currently, “bold” and “colorful” describe her paintings of flowers and people. “I mainly paint with acrylic paints and sometimes I use mixed media,” she says. “I am experimenting with using neon and metallic colors. I often use very vibrant colors and continuous black lines. The colors in some of my floral paintings almost seem as if they are vibrating or moving. Some of my paintings appear to glow in dark rooms, which is really cool and sometimes kind of spooky. These colorful floral paintings are in your face and loud. I am attracted to very loud and colorful things.”
Her work was recently part of an exhibition titled Feel the Music: Deaf Creatives in OUMA at Atlanta’s Oglethorpe University Museum of Art. “This exhibition highlighted works of eight deaf artists through performances and visuals,” says Mayton. “I also participate every year in the Florida Deaf Art Show.”

Atlas. Elizabeth Mayton, artist
Some of her works convey the frustration of trying to communicate as a deaf or hard-of-hearing person. “I have done some bizarre abstract portraits depicting a person with their hand over their mouth,” she says. “I get nervous when someone covers their mouth as they speak. I rely on lip reading and when I cannot see someone’s mouth or face, it makes it almost impossible for me to understand. In some of my portraits, you will see their mouth or teeth through the hand (as if the hand is invisible); it is to add some humor and to make it more bizarre. That is how it feels when I am trying to listen during challenging situations. It feels uncomfortable, but sometimes laughing about it is the best thing I can do.”
In Western North Carolina she is represented by Mirrorball Gallery, in Tryon. “Elizabeth Mayton’s artwork is a playful exploration of the imagination, where whimsy and wonder collide in a symphony of color,” says Alexander Page, Mirrorball’s gallery curator and proprietor. “Her pieces invite viewers to journey into a world where the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary, revealing vibrant layers of interpretation.”
When she is painting with bold colors, Mayton says, she feels intense emotions, seeing them in the layers of paint. “On days I feel like creating, it is a great thing that helps me heal,” she says. “I can just focus on what is in front of me and pour my feelings into it. It is cathartic. When I stop and reflect on what I just created, I feel as if I have a better understanding of what I am experiencing. I am constantly learning new things about myself.”
Find Elizabeth Mayton’s work at Mirrorball Gallery, 84 Pacolet Street, Tryon. Learn more at MirrorballGallery.com. Follow Elizabeth on Instagram @elizabethmaytonart, and contact her at emayton7@gmail.com.