“I want these paintings to feel personal to the viewer, to connect with the image.  
I want people to feel peace and hope when they experience my paintings”

Originally born in Latvia, Elina’s family immigrated to the US when she was three years old. She has been exploring art ever since she was able to get paint on her fingers.

Elina received private art lessons from her childhood, and knew art was her calling. Collaborations with a close friend in the arts, further developed Elina to always learn, be curious and follow where art would lead her.

Practicing her dream, Elina is a professional oil painter.

Elina’s inspirations include various art, particularly traditional and contemporary, vintage images, photography, modern dance and ambient music.

Before each new painting, Elina plans the concept and portrait layout. The process involves a few days to a week. She uses her additional passion in photography to project her concept and artistic vision before creating a new painting. Occasionally, Elina utilizes past photos to create a painting representing something new in the present day.

Her paintings reflect the blend of two artistic styles. The paintings are traditional in the sense that she predominantly paints self portraits, and contemporary by her painting techniques. The movement she has learned from modern dance, has influenced the contemporary techniques and finishing touches for each painting. Examples include harsh brush strokes, use of a palette knife, or to smear paint from a tube directly onto a painting. Elina ensures each painting is of high quality, by selecting the right canvases and oils, in order to last a lifetime.

In her words to observers near and far, “I want these paintings to feel personal to the viewer, to connect with the image.  I want people to feel peace and hope when they experience my paintings.”

Elina is twenty-three years old, and resides in Everett, WA.

(All images provided by Elina Dmitruk)