Who is Elizabeth Mcgrath Miss Derringer

Elizabeth McGrath born in Hollywood California is an artist based in California who works primarily in the fields of sculpture and animation. Her work is often evocative of the darker side of life, and she has been nicknamed Bloodbath McGrath after the subject matter of her works. Along with her career in art, McGrath also is the lead singer of the Los Angeles-born band Miss Derringer along with her husband/songwriter Morgan Slade.

McGrath was born in Hollywood and raised in Echo Park and Altadena, California. At the age of 13 she was sent to a Fundamentalist Baptist correctional institution called the Victory Christian Academy, and credits that for much of the inspiration for her artwork. She later attended Pasadena City College.

She frequently uses different resins, oil and acrylic paints, wood, roofing tar, foam, old leather and fur jackets, cloth, feathers and armature wire to create her unique sculptures. Drawing influences from such diverse areas as organized religion, carnivals, Edward Gorey, Erte and the punk rock movement, McGrath's work is often morbid but always thought-provoking.
McGrath began her career in art by making flyers for her punk band Tongue and creating a fanzine called Censor This, a collective effort with several other artists.

Local music video director Fred Stuhr was impressed by her work and hired her as an art director for stop-motion animated videos and commercials. Through the techniques and knowledge that he imparted to her, she began to develop her own style of sculpture. Her first showing was at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Hollywood. She currently shows at their new gallery, Billy Shire Fine Arts in Culver City, California.

McGrath was one of the guests to attend the wedding of Jessicka and Christian Hejnal of Scarling. on October 13, 2007 in Los Angeles. Her wedding gift was a dozen little rabbit centerpieces, each ghoulish bunny elaborately attired in top hat, polka dots and pink lace colla.

About Miss Derringer,

Performing a dark, lean blend of blues and country sounds fortified with a punk attitude, Miss Derringer is an L.A.-based rock band let by a pair of musicians-turned-artists, Liz McGrath (a painter and sculptor who previously sang with the band Tongue and edited the 'zine Censor This and Morgan Slade a photographer who plays guitar and writes much of the group's material. Rounding out the group are guitarist Mark Miller (formerly of Los Cincos), bassist Sylvain de Muizon, Julio Bell (ex-Bobsled and Bulimia Banquet) on autoharp, and drummer Mark Miller (from Skeetertruck). The group released their first album, King James, Crown Royal and a Colt 45, in February 2004 appropriately, the record-release party was held at the Copro Nason Gallery in Culver City, CA, in conjunction with a show of McGrath's artwork. The band underwent some lineup changes for 2006's Lullabies, which featured the core duo of McGrath and Slade and bassist Sylvain de Muizon, as well as Blondie drummer Clem Burke and Charley Horse member/Acetate Records owner Rick Ballard on guitar. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide


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