about me...

-->

Welcome!  My name is elisa.  I am an artist, a mom, an ex-therapist, a bit of a tea addict, and a nature enthusiast.

My goal as an artist is to help the viewer find some sort of balance in their lives. Even if it is only for a brief moment.  I do this by focusing on the simplest elements of nature. Whether it is a quiet landscape or a flower on a blank canvas, my art becomes a break from the everyday.  It’s a reminder to stop, breathe, and prioritize what is important.

In 2012 I became active in art fairs.  I set up a very simple white tent and surround it with my landscapes.  When people would walk in, there would be almost a complete sigh of relief.  A break.  They’d turn quiet for a moment.  Maybe two.  I could see it in their faces as they relaxed.  Everything else was gone for just a moment and they could be quiet.  That was when I was 100% sure I was exactly where I need to be doing exactly what I need to do. 

I have been an artist for as long as I could remember.  After graduating art school in Chicago, I moved to NYC.  Back then I didn’t understand how an artist could make a living, so I worked in not-for-profits because making the world a better place is another one of my passions.  Eventually I got a MSW and became a therapist only to be laid off after a few years because of the economy.  So, I picked up my paintbrushes and went to work (something I had been wanting to do for awhile anyway).  I spent the next few years figuring out exactly what my style was and what I wanted to paint.  Landscapes were calling to me and I felt compelled to create them with big open skies and calm but colorful lands.  The overall response to my work was that it got viewers to stop, breathe and relax.  I had finally found a way to merge my art career with my social work/therapy training. I found a way to help people through my art.  It was something I never expected but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Cue the Rocky music, this one's all about training

I started my art education as most kids do: finger painting; coloring with crayons; using whatever I could to create art. But when most kids would read or play games, I would go in my room and draw. When other kids were taking swim, dance or soccer classes, I was the kid taking art classes. It's not that I didn't play or hang out with my friends. I did. But I was most comfortable creating.  

I am incredibly fortunate that my parents tuned in on that passion of mine and encouraged it.  Granted, it helps that my dad is an architect (on vacations my dad and I would go off somewhere and draw the landscape together) and that both of my parents love art.  

After high school I went to a small liberal arts college for two years before I realized I really needed to be in a more art centered program. So off to SAIC I went.  After graduation, I headed to New York City.  Was there more training after that? Sure, but it's not what you'd expect at all. I got a Masters Degree in Social Work. What? Yep. THAT training informed my work in ways I am only just beginning to understand.  What I do know is that my work pre-MSW was random. Sometimes it was political, sometimes it was personal, but it was always all over the place. Post-MSW, my work became more about relationships (the birds) and about offering the viewer a moment of peace (the landscapes).  Even though I'm not using my MSW in a traditional sense, I'm very grateful for having it and how it has helped shape my art in a way I never would have known.

I'm curious to see what the rest of my training will be...

let me tell you a story

In the Beginning by elisa ann lindstrom

let me tell you a story
of a little girl
who would go up to her room to draw
who would look out the window
in grade school
and could stare at the trees and sky forever
(who had no idea what was going on inside the class)

whose parents made sure she took art classes
at the local cultural center
and in those classes they would go outside
they would observe
observe the trees
observe the light
observe the color

when she was older she took more classes
at the same local cultural center
where she was the youngest in the class
and they would go out on trips to observe
to observe the rose garden
to observe the lake

it was at the lake where she was pulled in
pulled in to the lake and the horizon
it was there that she only began to understand
the peace that is found in the open sky
in nature
in landscapes

this is where her story begins

the history of inspiration... or more like the history of my inspiration for my paintings

When my mom was growing up, her family would take lots of road trips. No airplanes, no trains. Just tons of time in the car. My family did the same... well, not quite the same as my mom has some interesting stories of long non-stop road trips and ours were more leisurely with lots of pit stops along the way.

(road trip) Image used for Grandpa's Land

Every year the four of us would hop in the car (a rust colored two door VW Rabbit, mind you) and drive to our vacation spot, usually just a state or two away.  As my brother and I got older (and we got a VW Jetta), our trips would be longer and we visited Washington D.C., New York, Boston, and Canada.

(hike) Image used for Reunion

I loved looking out the window watching the landscapes change. This is where I get most of my inspiration.  Looking at landscapes that may be completely new to me, or that may be something I hadn't noticed before. Watching towns come and go. Looking for rivers and streams that flirt with the road.  Mountains that hide beautiful green valleys waiting to be discovered in the next turn.

(walk) Image used for Winter Line

This is how I get most of the images for my paintings. Sometimes it's from a walk or a hike when the landscape goes by a little slower and I can soak it in even more. But for the most part, my landscapes come from road trips exploring new parts of the country.       

Overheard in the studio this weekend (also known as the tiny conversations I have with my 3 year old daughter)

My daughter gets very excited when she finds me in my "studio" aka my bedroom, painting. She usually asks if she can help and I have a hard time explaining to her why she can't help with my landscapes. Luckily I can divert her interest into a shared painting project where she paints/draws near me.  So while we were working on our artwork, she asks me "why do you paint".  Funny thing was that I had just written a whole page on it as a writing assignment care of Blacksburg Belle.  As she is three, I decided to just simply say "because I love to". Hopefully when she is older I'll be able to explain it to her more.  

Since you're not three, here's why I paint:

I paint landscapes because I believe we live in a culture where we are so removed from nature, removed from ourselves that we have become stressed out by it.  I believe we have started a journey where we are almost literally attached at the hip to modern machines and we almost feel lost without them.

I believe that landscapes with wide opens skies have helped me relax and reconnect and I know in my heart that others who see them may do the same. And that hopefully they will, in turn, put down their latest phone/pad and go out and enjoy nature.


I love painting because I love getting lost in the canvas. I love how time slips by. I love the challenge every painting brings. And I especially love how scared I am of the whole path that my landscapes may bring yet I still charge forward.
 

After our hard work, we decided to put them up together for a critique.  She had decided that since I was working in greens, she wanted to draw a house in all green. 

i am no scaredy-cat!

-->

I was reading a post* on IttyBiz a few years ago that challenged readers to answer a very scary question. What do you actually do? Since I am not a scaredy-cat (but apparently a huge procrastinator), I thought I’d try and give it a shot. Here goes.

*Unfortunately I cannot link back to the original post! Darn it! But here’s a link so you can soak up her awesomeness: ittybiz.com

The questions:

What’s your game? What do you do?

I’m an artist.  I create mixed media landscapes and drawings.  My focus seems to be going more and more towards working on the landscapes and slowing down on the drawings.   My landscapes are from photos I’ve taken on the road or during a hike.

Why do you do it? Do you love it, or do you just have one of those creepy knacks?

I do it because I love it. I do it because I feel pulled to create landscapes... especially large landscapes with large, open blue skies and land that is barely inhabited by humans. I do it because it gives me a sense of peace.

Who are your customers? What kind of people would need or want what you offer?

My customers are people that love the outdoors. Maybe they are too busy to get outside as much as they would want or maybe they live in a city and don’t have quick access to open spaces.  They feel they need a reminder of how peaceful it is.

My customers are people who feel disconnected with the land; they are so wrapped up in their lives, their gadgets, social media, whatever. They feel they need a break from it.

What’s your marketing USP? Why should I buy from you instead of the other losers?

Hahaha okay this question is a bit crazy. Losers? Other artists? Please, no. Please, please, please no. I’m not here to s--- on fellow artists. How about this: 

why you should buy from me or any other artist instead of going to a big brand store and buying “home décor”:

·      You’re supporting an artist directly (if you buy at a fair or at one of the many direct online outlets)

·      If you are buying local, you’re supporting your local economy (always good)

·      You’re getting an original piece of art NOT a mass produced one

·      There are so many artists out there that you can most likely find something in your price range

·      You will know the story behind the piece; if you don’t, ask for it.

·      You can get to know the artist and find out their story.

·      You can learn about the process they use to create the work. Sometimes I’m totally blown away when I hear what they did to create the artwork.

What’s next for you? What’s the big plan?

Well, my big plan is to continue creating landscapes. I definitely want to continue doing art fairs. I really enjoyed meeting people and talking about my work at An Arts & Crafts Adventure and I would like to be able to continue doing this over the summers.  It would be really cool to be able to take it on the road and go all over the US & Canada (maybe when my daughter is a little older).  I want to continue with my Etsy shops & expand the number of pieces, postcards, note cards and prints in the next few months. And of course, I plan on being in galleries throughout the country (and maybe abroad as well).

All About The Bird Series

A friend told me that he’d like to know more about the art I make. I have to agree that it’s something I haven’t done that is a very big necessity in my line of work. So I’m going to add a new section to my blog: “All About (fill in the blank)” which will go into detail about the pieces I’ve worked on as well as all that’s new.

I thought it would be best to discuss the very first series I did when I decided to dive head first into my lifelong passion of creating art. You have to understand that I had just been laid off from a job as a social worker and I had a lot more time on my hands than I was used to. I was determined to make art but I was a bit unable to focus on exactly what to create. I really wanted to make landscapes but I just wasn’t getting them right and I had some space constraints. My easel was set up in the corner of our office/living room/dining room and creating something that was large was really not a possibility.

I was getting extremely frustrated with the landscapes because they weren’t going to my liking (only one worked out) and I really wanted to paint them larger but we had no room for me to go to bigger canvases. It was difficult and I was worried I was going about it all wrong. Then I started to stare out of the window and I noticed the birds. They would fly on and off this TV antenna on a building across the street. They were so quick and a casual observer might see them as unfocused but I found them fascinating. I started sketching them out (I must say -they aren’t the easiest models). I found a blank 12 x 12 canvas that I felt would be a great size to capture the birds. I knew I wanted to make the sky layered because I don’t see it as just blue – there are always undertones and sometimes a little drama. I decided the best way to do this was to thin out my acrylics with matte medium and paint many layers until I got it just right. While working on the sky, I took into consideration the placement of the bird on the antenna and what medium I would use to express them. I decided I would use conte crayon because it was much more delicate than charcoal or acrylic paint and it was easier to manipulate over the acrylic sky than ink. When I finished the first bird painting I decided to continue working on the same subject and in the same manner for a total of 10 paintings which seemed like a good number for my first official series.