Elizabeth HUBBARD

HUBBARD, Elizabeth Matthews Elizabeth passed away peacefully at Essex Meadows, Essex, CT, a week after her 101st birthday. She was born July 1, 1909, the daughter of George and Susanna Snaith Matthews in Massena, New York. She grew up in that small town and spent leisurely summers at her grandparents' farm on the St. Lawrence River. Norman Rockwell once came into the First National Bank in Massena, where her father worked, and inquired if he could paint young Elizabeth. Elizabeth later recalled, "I guess he saw me with my long auburn braids as I rowed along the river. I refused to sit for him and whenever I saw him, I ran the other way." Perhaps Elizabeth was too shy to be painted by Norman Rockwell because she had already developed a keen interest in creating her own artwork. She began drawing at the age of three. Her mother had been a schoolteacher and she thought that providing Elizabeth with pencils and crayons was a good way to assure a quiet house. Carefully observing the world around her was to become Elizabeth's lifelong pleasure. Her formal training in painting began at the College of Fine Arts, Syracuse University. During the Great Depression her father died and she ventured to New York City, living first at the Three Arts Club. Elizabeth worked as a freelance fashion illustrator and window display designer for Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, Saks, and other Fifth Avenue department stores. She was always proud to have been a creative woman in the workforce. In 1935 Elizabeth married Lawrence Hubbard, an advertising and marketing executive. He greatly admired and encouraged her artistic talents over their 50 years of marriage. They first lived in Jackson Heights, NY and remodeled an old red barn in Redding, CT, providing a retreat from city life and an art studio for Elizabeth. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s she explored a variety of artistic mediums. Elizabeth wrote and illustrated a book called "Red Sneakers," created portraits in pastel, sculpted small figurines and busts, and painted in oil and watercolor. A few years after the birth of their second child they moved fulltime to Riverside, CT. Elizabeth's mother, who had recently lost her eyesight, soon joined the household. Elizabeth lovingly cared for Grammy Matthews who celebrated her 100th birthday in Greenwich, CT. Elizabeth's creativity infused everyday life, from orchestrating children's birthday parties to drawing annual Christmas cards. In response to the demands of a busy family and travel opportunities, Elizabeth began to focus on watercolors. She studied watercolor painting with Herb Olsen and Frederick Whitaker. Inspired by the Central Park Zoo, the weathered barns, boat docks, and seascapes of costal New England, she continued her art. Her palette lightened with visits to the Bahamas, Mexico, and retirement winters spent on St. Croix, VI. Elizabeth was thrilled that her painting "The Louise Shop" was included in the 1990 exhibition "Salute to Greenwich – 350 Years" at the Hurlbutt Gallery. She gladly accepted commissions for watercolor paintings as well as wall murals and painted tiles of homes. Her paintings were exhibited at a variety of venues including juried shows at the American Watercolor Society, Allied Artists of America, the National Academy, and the Knickerbocker Art Association. She was a proud member of the Connecticut Watercolor Society, the Greenwich and Old Greenwich Art Societies, and an Associate member of the American Watercolor Society. Retiring to Old Lyme, CT gave Elizabeth the opportunity to become an artist member of the Old Lyme Art Association and to share her love of art as a docent at the Florence Griswold Museum. In 2006 a retrospective of her paintings was presented at Essex Meadows, her lovely home for the last twenty years. She was grateful for her close ties to the St. Anne's Episcopal Church community that helped sustain her until the end of her remarkable century of life. Above all, Elizabeth genuinely appreciated and cared for her family and friends. She loved each of us and constantly encouraged us. She taught us to always find the beauty in the world around us, instilled in us a passion for art, and made us laugh with her wry sense of humor. Her family feels blessed and grounded by her legacy. Elizabeth M. Hubbard is survived by her son Ken Hubbard and daughter-in-law Tori Dauphinot of Greenwich, CT; daughter Susan Hubbard Ryan and son-in-law Dr. Russell Ryan of Marblehead, MA; and six grandchildren: Paul Hubbard of Missoula, MT; Dr. Rusty H. Ryan of Cambridge, MA; Suzanne H. Brutocao of Los Angeles; Eliza H. Ryan of New York; West Hubbard and Skye Hubbard of Greenwich. A memorial service is being planned at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT on September 12, 2010 at 11 a.m. Donations in her memory may be sent to the Elizabeth Hubbard Endowment at the Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT 06371 (860-434-5542; www.FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org). Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, Old Lyme is handling the arrangements. Please visit www.fultontherouxoldlyme.com for more information.