In a time that finds us increasingly divided on issues that are literally life or death, art is an arena where those battles are being fought. It’s also a place where I’ve chosen to address the struggles for social justice. My work as an artist has been informed by 40 years of experience as an Art Director and Creative Director, when I constantly weighed what was right for consumers and how best to be their advocate. The moral questions I grappled with were the same ones I encounter in my art: what is just, what is fair, and how can I be a voice for those who too often go unheard?
Art is how I translate my emotions when I observe the world around me. From injustice suffered by women and children, to a simple expression of my love for trees. My work spans various mediums, including sculpture and photography, with a special emphasis on assemblages.
In assemblages, it is my goal to raise the idea of repurposing to the level of symbol, metaphor and meaning. Each piece responds to an important issue of our time, from gun violence and women’s rights to child labor and the extinction of tree species. My goal is to enlighten, to surprise and, most importantly, to start a meaningful conversation.
An award winning Creative Director and Art Director, Elana created her own product lines and appeared on QVC with her unique, patented inventions. Founder of the design firm Lone Tree Creative, she now focuses her attention on creating art in her long-loved mediums of assemblage, sculpture and photography. Her work has appeared in shows and collections across the country. Elana lives in North Idaho and on the coast of California where she walks the woods and beaches, discovering the occasional bone, abandoned bird’s nest or rusty metal that might find a new purpose and meaning in a future assemblage.