Elayne’s artistic journey began upon retirement from healthcare about 8 years ago when she tried a watercolour class during a winter vacation in Arizona. She was hooked and soaked up as many classes as she could manage over the next few years with some wonderful local artist mentors. She is mostly self taught through video tutorials but also learns from a variety of in-person workshops & courses. 

Her first love is watercolour with its somewhat unpredictable nature. Most recently, Elayne  has been experimenting with negative space painting in watercolour, creating intricate layered backgrounds by painting the space around objects. She discovered that each medium carries its own challenges and unexpected rewards, so she had to try others. Her artwork pieces now encompass watercolour, acrylic, alcohol ink, mixed media, collage, encaustic wax, water soluble oils & pastel (soft & oil). She paints using twigs, a gel press, an air compressor, dental wands, cling wrap, sculpting & nail art tools, sponges, foil, a squeegee and just about anything she can get her hands on.

She loves to explore a variety of subjects - especially west coast landscapes, flora & fauna. Some pieces incorporate the semi-abstract with a slight whimsical nature. Plein air painting (outdoors) adds to the fun - throw in a timed on-site competition and she’s in!  You can also find Elayne painting down at West Beach in White Rock on nice days. She has participated in the Grand Prix of Art competition at Steveston for the past 3 years. Her husband, Terry, creates beautiful frames to showcase her work. They operate a booth to display/sell her pieces at local art fairs & artisan markets. Elayne plans to teach art workshops in 2024.

Elayne belongs to several art guilds/councils showing her work at local galleries in Langley, Surrey, & Delta. She is a member of the South Delta Artists Guild, the South Surrey White Rock Art Society, the Semiahmoo Art Society, Langley Arts Council, and the Art Council of Surrey.