Elle has been making art since she was a child, she loved to draw and paint and always had a pencil in hand. Creating art feels like something so ‘clear’ within Elle’s being. She equalises the need to make art with the need to breathe, laugh and cry all at once.
“When I go through periods where, for whatever reason, I don’t get to make much work I really struggle to function as a human,” she explained.
She describes the experience of painting as a way for her to look past the overload of information in this day, and age through a portal to a place where magic still resides.
“There’s just some kind of magic for me when I hold a brush, usually tiny, and have all those beautiful little tubes of colour in front of me. I feel like a kid in a sweet shop.”
Bright colours and patterns made using gouche and sometimes watercolours characterise her work. She draws inspiration from folk tales, and the timelessness of the stories which are there to teach, be shared, recorded and remembered.
“I’m fascinated by our collective unconscious. When we were sat round the fire telling stories about animals and other tribes our collective unconscious must have been very small, and close knit, as our society would have been. But today with things like the internet, social media, news and travel, how has this collective unconscious changed and expanded? I wonder how the cross pollination of different cultures changes our collective unconscious and what happens to the traditions, like folk tales as we move from place to place?”
Brighton’s mixture of city and seaside helps her feel connected to something big and powerful like the ocean but also allows her to live within the ‘buzz’ of a town that loves art and music.
Creativity is a natural part of Elle’s existence but being part of the art world hasn’t always been so inherent. Some personal traumatic experiences have made it difficult for her to put herself out there and network, these kinds of practical real world skills weren’t taught to her on her fine art degree.
Elle just relaunched her website as she knew it was time for a rebrand and refresh. This is because she is wanting to make the move away from fine art towards illustration. She needed it to reflect who she is and what she does better.
The future holds many new and exciting projects, she is looking to collaborate more and is thinking of exploring the art of making jewellery with her partner, who can help her create 3D printed pieces. And maybe even taking her masters here in Brighton!
If you’d like to see more of her work visit her website here.
