a family we would often travel for holidays and celebrations
to these towns and ranches where I would be looking out the
window, mostly in an effort to not get car-sick,” said Elissa.
“Over time I found more and more comfort in the hills and
valleys of the landscape along those roads to visit family. This
is what drew me to landscape painting in college at Black Hills
State University. The connection was forged over time between
my heart and the views outside my windows. I want to take a
piece of what I see and transfer it onto paper or canvas so that
anyone can bring it into their home.”
A few years ago, Elissa had to say goodbye to South Dakota
when her husband’s job transferred them to the Silicon Valley.
As the hills faded in the distance, Elissa knew life would change.
When she came to Gilroy, with Dakota’s landscape now far
behind, her art would soon take a new turn as well.
“I started painting owls to take a break from landscapes and
went back to the drawing board literally,” said Elissa. I wanted
to get back to drawing, but what to draw? I was just becoming
obsessed with owls at that time, the winter of 2011. At first I
tried a more realistic approach with the actual owls and then
filled in personality with color. The owls quickly morphed into
a more cartoon shape. I enjoyed making their expressions and
coming up with new color combinations.
“My collectors were delighted by these new little artworks and
I was hooked already myself. It is fun to have two completely
different genres to paint but have them connected by watercolor
media. Last year while staying in Napa I had a breakthrough and
Owls Doing Things was born.”
G M H T O D A Y M A G A Z I N E
“I was sitting in a downtown coffee shop and took inspiration
from what was happening around me. I drew the owls with more
human expressions and added little legs. After completing the
paintings from my initial drawings I was inspired to create yoga
owls and children's drawings with owls. These anthropomorphic
owls lend themselves to any situation I find myself in, and I
often draw from my own life experience. I hope to write and
illustrate a children's picture book this year or next.”
Elissa took her two styles of art and began selling them on
Etsy—an online store platform that has becme a popular base for
handmade artists of all kinds. It was a natural fit for her work.
“I started my Etsy shop initially as an alternate place to sell my
work, before I had a website. In the beginning I didn't do much
with it, because I had my work in two galleries in South Dakota
and was participating in different exhibits and committees. When
we knew for certain we were moving I had a feeling my Etsy shop
would be more of my home base for selling my work. I ramped
up my listings after we were settled into our home in Gilroy.”
Today Elissa spends her time painting in her studio creating
Owls Doing Things and has reconnected with the land finding
inspiration in California landscapes. Her most recent works
show the South Valley hills on starry nights. While they aren’t
the familiar Black Hills of her youth, her paintings portray the
beauty of this area where her heart and imagination discovered
other windows to look out in this new place she now calls home.
To see more of Elissa’s work go to etsy.com/shop/
elissasuewatercolors.
MAY / JUNE 2015
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