I was born in Gainesville, Florida on New Year’s Eve. My parents
named me Elaine Celestial , which means “light from heaven”, in honor of my aunt and great-grandmother. I’m
sure my name has influenced the direction of my life and my art, for I believe that my progress as a spiritual being is the
most important work I can do. My spiritual path is the way I consciously connect with the light of God and the Christ within.
One of my favorite quotes from “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran is “work is love made visible”. When
I express my love for God’s creation by doing art work, I feel blessed and grateful. I pray that the love and joy that
I feel when I do art will be received by whoever sees my art and that my art will be inspirational to all and not a monument
of self-seeking.
I love working in many different medias; watercolor, acrylic, oil, colored pencil, markers and
printmaking.Thus, my primary style is 2D mixed media which allows me the spontaneiity I need to explore and portray my feelings,
reflections and visions. I have been doing art since my Mom first gave me crayons, so when I am asked how long have I been
an artist, in truth I answer, all of my life.
I have participated in art festivals, fund raisers, gallery shows and
artist’s cooperatives. I became an art teacher after I received my Master’s degree in art education from the University
of Massachusetts in 1992. I love seeing people who didn’t think they could draw, paint or create art, discover that
they can. Inspiration is all we need.
I am a visual artist because this is what I love to do. I am a light
worker because I know that the most wonderful thing I can do with my life is to share God’s light and love and the joy and peace
that it brings. I sincerely believe that anything we do with love is equally important. I do not enjoy the competitive side
of the art world, yet I do enjoy sharing my art work with as many people as I am meant to share it with. I feel that my art
is a gift from God and to share this gift is the only way to keep it. In essence, the love I give and the love I recieve are
what my life and art are about.
