STATEMENT

I am an emotional artist reacting to what I see. I am captivated by the fleeting moment: The brief gesture of a figure, the momentary lift of an eyebrow or the kinetic complexion of a passing cloud. Using gestural line or painterly detail, my objective is to define the ephemeral and my love for the subject and to take the viewer into an instant of timelessness.

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BIOGRAPHY

Elaine Verstraete has been working as an illustrator and artist in the Rochester, New York area
since 1988 and has built a reputation as a fine watercolorist. Her paintings have been published on a number art festival posters including those for Rochester’s Highland Park Lilac Festival, Corn Hill Festival, Gardenscape and also the Naples Grape Festival.

Elaine has illustrated many children’s books including a series of “On My Own” biographies for Lerner Publishing that are filled with detailed figurative watercolors and colorful portraits for the covers. Her most current publication, “Shipwreck Search” is part of the “On My Own Science” series and tells the story of the deep-sea discovery and raising of a Civil War submarine. Her next book, Many Ways to be a Soldier” is due out in 2007 and tells the story of a young boy during the revolutionary war. Other Children’s publications include Cricket Magazine and Children’s Television Workshop’s “Creative Classroom” Magazine.

In print advertising, her work has ranged from sensitive portraiture published in material for the American Lung Association to a limited edition print featuring ferrets commissioned by an international ferret outfitting company.  Her still life paintings can be found on Wegmans Brand product packaging including gourmet coffee, frozen yogurt and premium orange juice. Landscape and still life images have appeared as Easter and Christmas Seals for the American Lund Association.

Having earned a BFA with honors from Syracuse University, Elaine also lived briefly in London, England and New York City. Elaine teaches Illustration at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. Residing in Middlesex, NY, Elaine also enjoys bicycling through the pastoral hills, playing tennis and is part of a contemporary folk duo called Brooke and Elaine as bassist and vocalist. She adores the company of her four Siamese cats, Koto and Shogun, Django and Fila.