Elena Valerie

I want to send a message of passion and beauty within my work

www.elenavalerie.com.au

Russian born Elena Valerie started her journey as an artist here in Australia. She has been trained by numerous well-known artists and has been with our arts training for a couple of years.

We have found her to be loved by everyone due to her caring and energetic personality. As a student and artist she proves to be passionate and has not spared time nor resources to pursue her interest in both painting and photography.

She uses her own props and photography as subject material for her paintings. When Elena works in oil she enhances the saturation of colours with skillful glazing methods, making them incredibly vibrant yet almost transparent. She also works in pastel and coloured pencil.

We are proud to see that Valerie is exhibiting and has won some awards since 2017 as listed below. Today she also teaches art classes, mostly in Russian. 

Elena's Gallery

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The Magenta Orchid 

Passion Flower

Carousel of Joy

Bird of Paradise

By Elena Valerie
58cm (W) x 45cm (H)
Oil on Canvas

By Elena Valerie
61cm (W) x 92cm (H)
Oil on stretched canvas

By Elena Valerie
76cm (W) x 92cm (H)
Oil on canvas on board

By Elena Valerie
76cm (W) x 51cm (H)
Oil on stretched canvas

The Tulip Couple

Sensual Camellia

Beauty in Essence

White Lilies

By Elena Valerie
57cm (W) x 40cm (H)
Oil on Canvas on boards

By Elena Valerie
41cm (W) x 28cm (H)
Oil on Canvas on board

By Elena Valerie
58cm (W) x 37cm (H)
Oil on Canvas

By Elena Valerie
Oil on Canvas

A Mother's Heart

Untitled

Purity

By Elena Valerie
91.5cm (W) x 91.5cm (H)
Oil on Canvas

By Elena Valerie
Details will be added soon.
Oil on Canvas

By Elena Valerie
61cm (W) x 61 (H)
Oil on stretched Canvas

2017 Exhibitions & Awards

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• Cliftons Art Prize, Finalist
• Ekka 2017, Brisbane
• Rotary Art Spectacular, Brisbane, Finalist
• Lethbridge 10000 Small Scale Art Award, Online Finalist
• The d’Arcy Doyle Art Awards
• RAW: Natural Born Artists Showcase, Gold Coast

My Interview with Elena

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On the 17th of October, I met with Elena for a short interview, to give us a glimpse into her life and work. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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​Martina Pook

Elena, where were you born?

I was born in the South of Russia and immigrated to Australia in 2008.

Why do you paint and what message will we find in your work?

For me to paint is as having learned how to fly. I have found my inner garden and have never experienced this kind of elation from any other activity. I am planting a message of love, beauty and sensuality with my paintings. In particular inspecting flowers, I study the beauty of life itself. The harmonious part of our wondrous world and its inhabitants are the core of my work. I desire to engage the viewer in a dialogue with my work, discovering the intricacies, melodiousness and layers of natures charm and artistry.

Have you always been interested in art?

I was very creative but not really into art. I even wasn’t standing out with my drawing and painting skills at first, but I was always very creative. It was not until I turned 30 when my children were born, that I felt I would like to try oil painting. After the first few works, I became completely entranced with oil painting.

I am grateful to have a husband who fully supports my artistic career and that  I can put time and training into my love of painting.

In 2014, I joined art classes with Martina Pook and later on with Marcel Desbiens immersing myself in painting. I received further training with a number of Australian Artists, including, Lyn Diefenbach, John Wilson and Andrew Bonneau.  

So what type of painting techniques do you love most?

I prefer oil because you can blend smooth layers while having the time to explore your subject without haste. Oil is perfect for carrying glowing effects by which saturation of colours is brought forth to its utmost limit. I love to enlarge flowers because the flow of lines and shapes reflecting the beauty of nature is emphasised. It enhances the details of texture, such as velvet or a light shining through petals.

Why flowers?

I've tried many different subject matters and would never have thought to end up with painting flowers. But after my kids were born it seems that the feminine facets of life were elevated and resonated in my soul. Flowers became the reflection of womanhood. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “The earth laughs in flowers”. Flowers are unique, their smell and colours are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. Flowers seem only to give goodness.

What is your process of your paintings?

First I take photos of the flowers I want to work with. I enjoy photography using a macro lens to discover the many secrets and fine details of each flower. I then prepare an extremely smooth canvas to work with and create several layers of glazing to achieve the desired transparency and glow to reflect warmth and happiness.

Which artists inspire you?

I was greatly influenced by Yan Van Hysum, Georgia O’Keefe and Marcel Desbiens.