ELLE’S Captivating artwork immerses you in nature's restorative beauty.
Meet Elle, a Canadian artist who specializes in fine art photography and painting. Elle is best known for her inspiring landscape images that reveal the ethereal beauty deeply rooted in nature. Her expressive works are an instant visual escape and lasting respite from the stress of daily life.
“ My art practice is an ongoing exploration of how to best share my experience of nature’s beauty with others using paint and photography.”
WHEN DID YOU BEGIN TAKING AN INTEREST IN ART?
My earliest inkling of a calling to the creative life appeared in preschool. I remember feeling intensely frustrated with the limited sheets of paper and time I was allowed to have at the painting station during free playtime. A few short years later, my early enthusiasm for creating halted when I allowed passing criticism from a respected grade school art teacher to convince me that my talents must lay elsewhere. Luckily my exploration of photography was kindled in my preteens when my mom gave me a camera to take to Girl Guide camp as a way to overcome my introverted shyness. Over the years, I continued to dabble with the medium, photographing everything - friend's weddings, travel adventures, and everyday life. Following my two boys' birth and DSLR cameras' introduction, I started creating photographic landscape art. Eventually, my images began to shift towards a more painterly style as I employed techniques to produce intentional blur using the camera to paint with light. After a 35 + year hiatus, I have finally embraced my calling as an artist. My practice now includes exploring how to best share my experience of nature's beauty using paint and photography.
WHY LANDSCAPE AND ABSTRACT ART?
I credit my parents for kindling my love of natural landscapes. My childhood home was perched at the edge of a forest not far from the shores of Lake Ontario. I spent countless happy hours building forts in the woods and learning to sail in the summer. My choice to create landscapes is related to the joy it brings me. Lord Byron said it well… I love not man less but nature more. My movement towards a more abstract or impressionist style has developed recently and stems from my love of how this method simplifies a scene. Distilling a landscape image down to the essence of it’s beauty intensifies the emotional response - and a stronger response is what I’m after.
“There is a pleasure
in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture
on the lonely shore...
I love not man the less,
but nature more...”
WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
My work is inspired by the beauty I find in the natural landscapes I explore. Mostly in Canada and occasionally abroad. When I return to the studio, I draw on inspiration from and the teachings of many contemporary photography and painting mentors. As a lifelong learner, I am always studying the work of artists who are effective at creating evocative art. If pressed for names though, I’d have to say Lawren Harris and the Group of Seven's ground breaking work which showcased Canada’s wild places and their commitment to sharing the beauty they found in this country's natural landscapes. On the photography side of things I admire far too many to name.
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
Simply put, I hope to be a positive force in the world. Treading lightly, approaching things with optimism and leaving things just a little bit better than how I found them whenever possible. I am grateful for my daily discovery of beauty in my surroundings. Finding it fuels my optimism and gives me a sense of serenity. Creating art inspired by these experiences is pure joy for me. By sharing it with others, I hope to spread that joy and encourage them to see the beauty in their own surrounds.
WHERE CAN I PURCHASE YOUR WORK?
My limited edition photography and original paintings are currently available for purchase exclusively through my shop here at this website. Use the button below to shop what is available now. The best way to find out about new work is to join my Collectors Circle. Sign up below to receive updates and advance notice of new releases. If you have seen / are interested in a piece of work that is not featured currently on the website please contact me via email and I’ll be happy to help you out.
