Early Years in the Pacific Northwest
Born and raised in Olympia, Washington, Elena spent her childhood exploring the dense forests and rugged coastlines of the Pacific Northwest. Her earliest memories involve sketching wildflowers and capturing the play of light through towering evergreens.
At age 12, she won her first art competition with a watercolor of Mount Rainier, foreshadowing her lifelong connection to landscape art.
"The trees were my first teachers. They showed me how to stand tall while remaining flexible, how to find beauty in every season"– Elena's journal, age 16
