Karena Elise (b. 1987, San Jose, CA) is an artist, traveling the world, looking for color.
Unending curiosity about the outer natural world and the deeper inner world inspires her work through color first and then texture and form. Through color staining, gestural marking, and color field she searches for the feeling the moment or memory held. Or, in the digital image, editing until the moment on the screen holds the feeling of the moment of witnessing. Deeply inspired by her first viewing of a Rothko as a child and understanding that color holds emotion, she always begins with color. The sunlight behind closed eyelids or the shallow turquoise sea during rainy season, Ms. Elise is more interested in how it makes you feel than what you see.
The intersection of climate change and the natural environment, and their impact on how people experience the natural world around them is Ms. Elise’s current interest and is explored in her collections: Bali Air and The Reno Collection.
Ms. Elise is currently a Teaching Artist with Arts for All Nevada, a non-profit seeking to integrate the exploration of arts and culture into the lives of all.
Ms. Elise is open to collaboration and commission work on a case by case basis.
SHOWS & EXHIBITIONS
2023
Solo Exhibition - Sierra Water - Reno, Nevada
12x12 Group Show - Sierra Nevada Arts Foundation - Reno, NV