Elena attended The School of Visual Arts, where she earned her BFA. She has worked as an illustrator, instructor and fine artist.
In addition, she has received numerous corporate and private portrait commissions and has exhibited work in a variety of genre and media. Her illustration work has been published most recently in 3x3 Magazine for Contemporary Illustration and a collaborative illustration with a young artist was published in BIG Kids Magazine. Elena has illustrated two award winning children's picture books, The Birds of the Harbor, and A Night of Tamales and Roses. She is the author of a non-fiction picture book about young female artists titled Portrait of a Girl and Her Art.
Recent Juried Exhibitions/Awards:
NOAPS Juried Associate online exhibition 2022
NOAPS International online juried exhibition 2021
Allied Artists of America 108th juried annual exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NY, NY, 2021
NOAPS Associate Member online juried exhibition, 2021
Glamberton Magazine, Vol. 1, London, England, Interview and four page spread, 2021
NOAPS online Spring exhibition 2021
Ridgewood Art Institute juried online exhibition, 2021
The Cooper Beach Foundation Award, 40th Regional Open Juried Show 2020 at Ridgewood ARt Institute
Portrait Society of America Members Competition 2019 Finalist Commissioned Portrait
Allied Artists of America, Inc. 106th Annual Exhibition 2019, Salmagundi Club, New York, New, New York
Bill Fornaci Memorial Award for Oil Painting 39th Annual Regional Open Juried Show at the Ridgewood Art Institute 2019
Finalist Portrait Society of American Members Only Competition "Outside the Box" Catagory
"Contain Her" Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY 2018
National Oil and Acrylic Painter's Society Online International Spring 2018 exhibit
Finalist, The Artist's Magazine 34th Annual Art Competition
National Oil and Acrylic Painter's Society 2017 Online International Spring Exhibition
Portrait Society of America Members Competition 2016 Awarded Sixth Place in Non-Commissioned Portrait
NAWA "A Sight For Sore Eyes" Online Exhibition 2016
Finalist "Art Kudos ' Online International 2016
"Summer Small Works" National Association of Women Artists, The NAWA Gallery NY, NY 2016
"Obstruction" Watchung Arts Center, Watchung, NJ 2016
"Old Enough to Know Better" Women's Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter, Crane Arts- Gallery 105, Philadelphia, PA 2015
"Women Painting Women" Principal Gallery, Charleston, South Carolina 2014
Solo Exhibition "Girls In Sight" Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ 2014