The signatures on each of Weedsport artist Liz Zieler's works are unusually conspicuous. Rather than being relegated to the lower corner like most artists' names, “Liz Zieler” sometimes occupies a position within the featured forms of the art itself, such as in “Cafe Au Lait,” an acrylic painting of a coffee cup sitting atop a saucer imprinted with Zieler's name.

Were it not for Zieler's noticeable signature on each piece, one might be led to believe that they were the works of several separate artists. Zieler's work runs the gamut of visual art, from watercolors to oils to ink washes. Stylistically she swings from impressionist landscapes to expressionist nudes to purely abstract swirls of color and light. The sole shared characteristic across this spectrum of art is indeed Zieler's emphatic signature.

By traversing so many different styles and mediums, Zieler stands in stark contrast to the stereotypical painter whose every canvas is covered with some obscure object of creative fascination, like triangles or the view from their front porch. Some artists will assert that sticking to one style of art in this manner is the mark of a mature artist. Zieler, however, finds no fault in her many artistic flirtations.

“I find bouncing around like this helps my creativity,” Zieler said.

Zieler has chosen to house her eclectic collection of art inside the former Winton Shoppe building on North Seneca Street in Weedsport. She has selected a gallery name that will not narrow the scope of its showcased art - La Place, or simply “The Place” in French.

Aside from underscoring the boundless artistic ambitions of both Zieler and her gallery, the La Place name carries personal significance for Zieler. La Place is the surname of her grandparents from the island of Saint Bartelemy in the French West Indies. Their artistic lifestyles, which focused more on music than fine arts, mobilized Zieler's creative instincts from a young age. That artistic energy has since diffused to Zieler's son Sean Muldoon, vocalist for Stone Soul Foundation, who recently won a Battle of the Bands competition at The Hot End in Elmira.

Zieler's talent was cultivated in the creative launchpad community of Southampton, Long Island, where she grew up. Her confidence in her creativity was solidified when a photo collage she designed in high school was taken by her art teacher and displayed in one of the school's hallway glass cases, sparking many compliments on her artistic talent from fellow students.

Zieler would move to the Central New York area when her brother, Thomas Delury, began attending Syracuse University. Following a few art classes of her own at Cayuga Community College, Zieler's art took a backseat to her professional life. Only seven years ago did she redirect her focus on producing art full-time. She has since sold more than 40 works.

Recently Zieler became acquainted with Michael Perez, a pop artist whose work has been featured in “Friends” and bought by high-end collectors such as Billy Joel. Perez began showing Zieler's works to his clients after she surprised him with a portrait she painted of him and her cat inside his Southampton gallery. That portrait can now be found in La Place.

Zieler's decision to open La Place was motivated in large part by her experiences selling art elsewhere. No matter where she went with her work, she had often found herself being its most successful salesperson.

“You're the best person to sell your own art because you know its background and you can explain that to people,” Zieler said.

As you enter La Place, Zieler will tell you that her favorite work hangs on the wall to the left from behind the gallery counter. Titled “Martini,” the oil painting depicts two olives nestled inside a martini glass and transposed against the outline of a voluptuous female figure. To Zieler the work encapsulates the woman's mindset as she prepares for a night on the town. One might also interpret the piece to comment on men's commodification of women in a culture fueled by alcohol.

Zieler is also fond of “Madeline,” a colorless ink wash of a nude female sitting in portrait that Zieler named after her mother. The figure resembles that of “Nude in the Woods,” an acrylic work of Zielers's which casts a rear depiction of the ghostly nude female against wavy grey columns in the shape of a haunted forest, painted in the tradition of famed German expressionist artist Edvard Munch.

Zieler would eventually like to include a revolving door of second artists in her gallery, preferably potters or ceramic artists whose work could occupy the several rows of shelf space at the rear of the gallery. As long as Zieler continues exploring countless styles and mediums, she'll cover enough artistic ground at the gallery on her own.

Staff writer David Wilcox can be contacted at 253-5311, ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net