Bodies&Spaces 9, 2024

Elena Done   Emerging artists

Elena Done – born 1973

Full time artist , living and working in Spain.
A graduate of the Academy Art Institute, I have been classically trained, with profound anatomy studies.
While studying I gained a reputation as a classical painter with solid academic knowledge and my own unique contemporary style.
My works are in private collections in France, UK, Spain, Morocco, USA.
A person who is extremely close to me said that he found it impossible to believe how the clumsiest person in the world with two left hands could be gifted with such an artistic, drawing talent.
I love people.
My favourite landscape and the most intriguing subject is the human form.
You can imagine as a qualified psychologist, my interest in people is deep and profound……in human beings, in humanity in its many facets. This inspires me to depict the multitude of facades of an individual, this or these I try to assimilate in my art. I regularly participate in sketch classes of live and moving models, sketching for me is the real heart of painting. Sketches potray an incompleteness and imperfections are the promise of future, they are always better than a finished works, for their lines are trembling and vivant .

In my oil paintings the spectator should notice specific techniques through the numerous layers. I paint with thick pastose strokes to make a painting more profound as many as 7 layers with the purpose of giving depth, this depth creating a unique personality and the aura of a living thing. This also means that every time you look at my painting – you will see something else.
I was always fascinated with Picasso's works of art - no wonder that I live near his home town Malaga. Picasso created life and deapth in his paintings, he created powerfull impact, he created emotions in the viewer's souls, totally different with different people. And that's what a painting, in my point of view, - is all about.

When I'm drawing my big voluptious nudes, I do it very quickly , as if in a sketching mode, captivated with the fluidity of chinese ink as well as its stickiness viscosity.

What is painting for me?
Painting for me is a natural occurance.
Painting for me is a preconceived ability.
I'm not in control of what I'm doing: my soul is painting, my emotions are painting. I'm creating work cause I'm admired by the object I'm portraying and cause I feel it.
I'm creating work as if for my own walls, but I feel so happy when I see my pictures in my clients interiors. It's an almost spiritual gift that I'm sharing, and I'm so lucky I have an ability to share it.

Education:

classical painter education in an European art academy

Exhibitions:

Personal Exhibition:
Sent20 - Jan 21- Cine de Goya, Puerto-Banus, Marbella, Malaga, Spain
Aug 21 - Partimonio Historico, Casa de la Tejerinas, Estepona, Malaga, Espana

 Artistic Influences:

i credit cave paintings to be my most influence,
as well as ancient megalithic Goddesses, those exciting ancient figurinnes that archaeologists generalize in the term 'Fat Ladies'.
I cherish the incompleteness and imperfection of impressionism;
I admire Picasso with the tremendous power of his works of art