Elaine creates all of her works with a palette knife because as she puts it “ of the beautiful texture and movement it gives to the painting”. The focus of much of her artwork is on social interaction with a particular focus on the interaction between children and their families. “My daughters have been the subjects of many of my paintings. I also bring a camera everywhere I go, taking photos of everyday scenes”. The settings of Elaine’s paintings are usually of coastal and vacation scenes, which she loves.

Elaine was born and raised in Southern California but has lived all of her life in and around the beach, so she feels a particular association with the vibrancy, colors, and acute social language of “beach life”. Elaine explains that many locations may look the same but have an all together different social language which one needs to fully immerse in if you are to truly appreciate your surroundings, whether that be in Laguna Beach, California, South Beach in Florida, The Caribbean or the south of France.

JURIED EXHIBITIONS
1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005 - Orange County Fair
1995, 1996, 1997 - CMAL Membership Show
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 - Orange Open
1999, 2002 - Surf City Festival
1999 - Ron Jon Art Exhibit
1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 - The Artist's Eye, Costa Mesa
1998, 1999 - OCFA Membership Show
2000 - Brea Art Association Exhibit
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 - Art That's Small at City Hall, Laguna Beach
2004 - Spring 2004 Orange County Artist Juried Exhibition, City of Newport Beach

AWARDS
1994 - 1st Place - Orange County Fair
1995 - 1st Place & Judges Award & Special Award - Orange County Fair
1995 - 1st Place - CMAL Show
1996 - Honorable Mention - Orange County Fair
1998 - Honorable Mention - OCFA Show
1999 - 1st Place - Sunset Beach Festival
1999 - 2nd Place - Ron Jon Art Exhibit
1999 - Honorable Mention - Orange County Fair
1999 - 2nd Place - Orange Open
1999 - Honorable Mention - OCFA Membership Show
2000 - Honorable Mention - Brea Art 'Traditional Inspirations'
2001 - Honorable Mention - Orange Open
2002 - 2nd Place - Artist's Eye
2002 - Laguna Beach Banner Competition (2)
2002 - Theme Award - Orange County Fair
2002 - 2nd Place - Orange County Fair
2003 - Laguna Beach Banner Competition
2005 - Juror's Choice & Honorable Mention - Orange County Fair
2005 - Art-A-Fair Poster Artist
2007 - Third Place -Art That's Small at City Hall - Laguna Beach

FESTIVALS
2001, 2002 - Balboa Art Walk
2001 - Flo-Jo Memorial Show
1999, 2002 - Surf City Art & Business Expo - Huntington Beach Pier
2002 - Fall Art and Flower Show - UCI Arboretum
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 - Art-A-Fair - Laguna Beach
2004, 2005 - Sawdust Winter Fantasy - Laguna Beach
2005 - La Quinta Arts Festival - La Quinta
2006 - La Jolla Festival of the Arts
2006 - Artwalk on the Bay - San Diego
2007 - Artwalk San Diego
2007 - Affaire in the Gardens - Beverly Hills