Biography Elaine is a self-taught botanic watercolour artist living in six acres of beautiful old growth forest. Her love of nature and especially native Alberta plants, has been her inspiration and focus for each of her botanic watercolour paintings.
Preferring to work from life, using watercolour and graphite pencil allows her to accurately capture the fine details of plants such as the Wild Red Raspberries, Brittlegill Mushrooms, Saskatoon, and many other native plants blending fine art and science reminiscent of the early 18th century botanic illustrators. She enjoys the precision of detail and the trueness of colour to bring her subjects to life.
The inclusion of insects not only adds a whimsical touch to her work but also illustrates the environmental connection between beneficial insects and the plants on which they thrive. It is her desire that her work will draw attention to the importance of our native plants, to our survival, and the need to save and protect the carefully balanced ecosystem that involves us all.
She is an elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, the Canadian Society of Artists, and a member of the Botanical Artists of Canada.
Her work can be found in public and private collections in Alberta and elsewhere.
Artist Statement
“ This project is important to me because of the YMCA Mission Statement:
Their original mission statement adapted in 2009 reads…. “The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.”
I feel it is an honour to have been selected to be part of this new facility and for all that it stands for.“
Elaine Funnell
